


Clockwork

by metalstraws



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Beaches, Diners, Eating Disorders, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Florists, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Minor Character Death, Not Beta Read, Older Characters, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Sad Prompto Argentum, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, This is basically a Hallmark movie, basically prompto is best boy, gladio is a bit of a dick, i promise gladio and nyx aren't the bad guys, i think, mature for future scenes, my sweet boy has a lot of anxiety, please just trust me, the boys grow as people from their backgrounds, these tags are all over the place good god, this is basically a hallmark movie i think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:06:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 39,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25493578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metalstraws/pseuds/metalstraws
Summary: Prompto has a routine that hasn't changed in almost five years.A handsome stranger at his flower stand changes that.ORPrompto sells flowers, the bros are vacationing, and this is basically a hallmark movie.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amacitia/Ignis Scientia (past), Gladiolus Amicitia & Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Nyx Ulric (referenced/past)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 50





	1. Changes

Prompto enjoyed his life, really. 

It was quiet. Peaceful. Mundane. Predictable. 

He woke up early every morning to pop by the diner, say hello to Cid and Cindy, go for a run on the beach. You know. Normal things people do. He'd sell flowers at his stand in the afternoons and go home when the sun started to set over the ocean. It never got old. 

Yeah, Prompto was pretty happy with his life, all things considered. 

Then three absolute fools came crashing - literally - into his life and he just couldn't seem to keep things from going wrong after that. 

* * *

Prompto is twenty-three. He'll be twenty-four this October, just a few months away. But that was going to be then and this is going to be now. 

"Mornin' Cindy!" He chirps, snagging a mug of coffee off the counter in front of the pretty blonde. The Hammerhead Diner was run by her and her grandpa, Cid, an uptight old fellow who didn't take any shit but did take a hell of a lot of pride in what he did. Which was cook breakfast all day and boss around the poor high schoolers that came in for jobs during summer break, or bicker with Mars about how he likes his eggs. Cid is right, he changes it all the time, but Mars will never admit defeat to the old man. 

"Mornin' Prompto. You got a pretty early start today, huh?" He sips the coffee. It's perfect, just like every day. "Any particular reason?" Her small-town twang used to tug at his heartstrings when they were growing up, but now it's just a familiar comfort, like a warm hug on a cold day. 

"Dunno!" He slides onto a stool at the counter, hands wrapping around the mug like it's a lifeline. He has coffee at home, has already had a cup, but something about the coffee at Hammerhead has always been better than what Prompto can get at the farmer's market. "I was just excited, could hardly sleep!" He knows why. She knows why. It's in a week, and they know it but ignoring it until the day of is how they've treated the anniversary the past few years. Out of sight, out of mind. 

"Well, sounds like the Six have got somethin' planned for ya! You want anything to eat before ya head out? Toast, eggs, bacon?" She knows the answer. 

"Nah, not today, but hey, there's always tomorrow!" He downs the coffee quickly, looking out the large windows that make up most of Hammerhead's dining area. The sun is just barely making its presence known in the sky, still grey with the setting moon and though it's early, it's much warmer outside than inside and there's the same condensation on the glass as there always is. "Thanks for the coffee pretty lady." And he gives her a playful wink and a five dollar bill before he's out the door again, ready to take on his run. 

He runs the same route every day. If he were in a big city, that'd be frowned upon because it would make him an easier target for kidnapping. As it stands, Angelgard is such a small town that he knows everyone he passes by, waving and saying hello. Nyx is already on the sand with his board, hair pulled back with braids and a hair tie, waving and grinning as he bounds into the probably freezing ocean. Crowe is pulling up to the lifeguard stand in her topless jeep, unruly hair tucked under a hat that matches her lifeguard swimsuit. He used to think Crowe was cute when he was a teenager. She'd punched him in the jaw during gym class 'on accident' after word got around. He still thought she was cute, just... absolutely terrifying. He gives her a slightly less exuberant wave and she nods to him, sunglasses already on, whistle dangling as she climbs the stand. 

It's summer break and Angelgard, while a small town, is also a vacation destination for plenty of folks from the city. They like to come spend a few months here and then leave, leaving empty beer cans in the sand and mucking up the public pools with tanning oil. They keep the place alive, though, so no one really complains. 

Prompto's lived here all his life. He's seen it all change with the years. The boardwalk used to be painted white. Now it's flaking and some of the boards have nails sticking out of them that you have to be careful not to step on. One tourist always goes to the ER for it every year. 

Like clockwork. 

It's hours later when he's sitting at his flower stand that he feels something in the air change. He's been reading a magazine and playing music softly through a speaker, humming along, when he realizes he has a customer. And it's a man he's never seen before. A tourist, then. 

"Oh! Hey, sorry, didn't see ya there." He stands and sets the magazine in his folding chair, stretching as he does so. It's already sweltering despite the clouds rolling across the sky, and his shorts and tank top don't do much to keep him cool. He's just grateful he invested in an umbrella for his stand a couple years back. No more bad tan lines for this guy! "Anything I can help you with?" 

"Ah, my friend," His voice is accented and his glasses slip down his nose a bit with the sweat. He's really pretty. Prompto shakes the thought from his head and nods, urging him to continue, "My friend has requested that I ask you what flower I would give to someone that I found attractive." 

Prompto thinks on it. Carnations, sure. Gerbera daisies, if it’s nothing too serious. Pink asters or ranunculus could do the trick, too.

“Well, tell me about your friend and the person they’re trying to give the flowers to, and we’ll go from there?” He’s normally not into giving people ideas unless he’s got the flowers in stock, but maybe this could work out for him somehow.

“It’s, ah, well. He's trying to give them to the young lady that works at the diner." The bespectacled man admits. 

Prompto laughs and then covers his mouth with his hands, eyes wide. "Oh shit." He says, dropping his hands. "I'm so sorry for laughing! I just - that's Cindy and she's, like, my best friend and I know for a fact that she's not interested in receiving stuff like that." He explains quickly, hands flying about as he speaks, until the other man puts a hand up. 

"Please, calm down. I'm not offended in the slightest." The man is... smiling? "If anything, it's a bit of a relief. Gladio can be a proper womanizer without intending and it's for the best that his efforts are stopped here before they can go anywhere." 

"Oh." Prompto blinks. "Well... glad to be of... help?" 

"Though, that doesn't answer my question, er...?" 

Prompto looks at him hesitating and then it clicks. 

"Prompto! My name's Prompto," He extends a hand and the other man shakes it gladly. 

"Ignis Scientia. Pleasure to meet you, Prompto. But yes, as I was asking, what flowers would you give to someone that you find... charming and attractive?" There's a glint to Ignis's eye as he lowers Prompto's hand that the blonde can't quite place. But he thinks he likes it. 

He goes back to pondering for a moment. "I would say... Ranunculus. They symbolize charm, attraction, and radiance. I think that hits the nail on the head for you?" 

Ignis nods. "Indeed, it does. Would you happen to have any of these... ranunculus in stock?" 

"I do! Just... not here. I have them back at the shop - er, I have a storefront that I use to keep all my flowers fresh! That's where I keep more specialty stuff like that." He explains, absently scratching his arms. A nervous habit he's never quite grown out of. "If you'd like, I close the stand around sundown and I can meet you at the store after that? Unless, y'know! You have plans or anything? Sorry, I shouldn't have suggested, you probably have - " and he's cut off by a hand again. This guy, Ignis, is really good at getting him to calm down. 

"Sundown at the flower shop sounds splendid. Where might I find this storefront of yours?" 

Prompto fumbles with his cash box for just a second before producing a business card. It's a pale green, almost white, and in gold lettering reads, 

_Argentum Arrangements of Angelgard  
Prompto Argentum - owner  
_ _1 Carbuncle Avenue  
_

His phone number is listed on the back, along with an email address and a picture of a sunflower. His favorite flower, his parents had made it the logo for the company when he was young. It makes him sad to look at, but he can't imagine it looking any different. 

"So basically, from here you'll go down to the traffic light, hang a left, go down Ramuh Way for a couple blocks, hang a right onto Taelpar Street and then you're gonna see it on the corner of Taelpar and Carbuncle on your right. It's painted green and has a big sign hanging overhead, you can't miss it! And if you get lost on the way there, or if something comes up, that's the number to my cell. I always pick up!" 

Ignis nods as Prompto explains, as if he's cataloging it all away in a filing cabinet in his head. 

"Yes, thank you Prompto... Argentum?" The blonde nods. "Lovely. Then I shall be seeing you at sundown." And with a slight bow - weirdly formal, but okay - Ignis is wandering off to the beach looking much more calm than he had when he'd first approached the stand with questions about flowers for his friend... Gladio, was it? 

As the hours tick by and a few locals stop by to say hello, Prompto finds himself dragging and his stomach rumbling. He doesn't normally eat all day until he gets home, but he's starving today for some reason. He must just be bored, he decides. And with that, he makes the executive decision to close the stand up for the day and deposit the extra flowers at the shop and clean things up there. He neglects the storefront more than he should. It isn't in any state of disrepair, he just can't stand looking inside the windows and seeing no one inside. 

As he begins his walk to the shop, he starts to think. And nothing good ever comes of that. 

He thinks about his parents. Well, they weren't his biological parents, but they were his family. They'd told him on his sixteenth birthday that he was adopted, not that he was surprised. They all looked nothing alike - where the Argentums had black hair and hazel eyes, Prompto was shockingly blonde and had the brightest blue-violet eyes anyone had ever seen. He was pale, not olive skinned, and he was covered head to toe in freckles and moles. Yeah, it had been something he'd seen coming for sure. 

They were his parents, though, whether they were related by blood or not and he'd loved them unconditionally. They had been the most supportive parents a person could ask for. They'd been understanding and willing to listen when he explained that he didn't think he liked girls all that much, but that a boy in his class had caught his eye. His mom would bring him a glass of water at night if she could hear him puttering around, anxiety keeping him from sleeping once again. She'd talk with him and it was never weird or awkward. She'd gossip and tell him stories from her childhood in Angelgard. Her parents were fishers and died in a storm, so she hated the ocean. She'd never take him to the beach, despite it being quite literally in their backyard. 

His father was the co-owner of Hammerhead with Cid's children. 

Prompto remembers the night of the fire all too well. 

He was eighteen and closing the shop for the day when the firetruck drove past, faster than he'd ever seen it. He'd seen the smoke rising into the sky from the shop's front door and he hadn't hesitated to take off running towards the location of the old Hammerhead Diner. 

Cindy was already there with Cid, holding each other and Cindy had cried so hard that night. Prompto had never seen her cry before that, not even when they were little. Then he saw the car parked on the side of the building. His dad's old pickup truck. And Prompto had taken off running past the police and the firemen and the hoses and the people staring at the scene unfold with horror. 

Prompto doesn't remember much after that. As soon as he'd gotten to the front doors, a gas line in the kitchen exploded and he was thrown back into the side of a firetruck. He woke up in the hospital the next morning with twelve stitches on the back of his head and a killer headache. 

And, for the second time in his life, Prompto was an orphan. 

Prompto is standing outside the front door of the store, staring at the key in the lock, turned so the bolt is out of the way. He doesn't want to go in. He hates it here. 

Growing up, he'd spent just as much time in the shop as he did at home, doing homework behind the counter, learning how to ride his bike in the delivery lot out back, learning how to arrange flowers in the back room, looking at stars with his mom on warm summer evenings on the roof, a blanket laid out beneath them, a bowl of fruit and glasses of iced tea. It had been his home away from home, just a couple miles from the house on the beach that was also too empty now. Everything was too empty these days. He'd gotten used to being alone, of course, it's been almost five years since the fire and he's had time to heal. He no longer wants to vomit at the idea of going near the old diner, no longer bursts into tears when he sees a chrysanthemum - they'd been his parents' favorite flower, it was what had brought them together - but he still feels like there's a hollowness in his chest that nothing quite fills. 

The shop is too quiet when the little brass bell above the door tinkles, announcing to the dust bunnies and cobwebs that he's arrived. He comes to the shop in the mornings to get his flowers which are delivered every Monday and Thursday on a truck. He usually ducks in the back to the storage room where he keeps them all watered and fed until they start to shrivel up. It's always amazed him how well a flower shop can do in a town as small as Angelgard, but stranger things have happened, he supposes. 

The front of the shop is actually quite small. His mom used to make sure there were always beautiful displays in the windows, vases full of blooms. Baby's breath, forget-me-nots, marigolds, roses, tulips. You name it, she had it. 

Prompto takes a deep breath and sets the paper bag full of extra flowers from the day on the front counter, heading into the back for the cleaning supplies. 

Prompto is twenty-three. He's an adult. He pays his bills and buys his own groceries and pays for his phone bill and runs a business all on his own. He's better than bitter memories and he's going to get the shop back to where it was. It's been five years and he's let spiders and dust take over a place that used to make him happier than anywhere else on Eos. Not anymore. 

"Today," He announces, pulling his speaker from his backpack and setting it on the front counter, "I'm going to get the shop ready for a reopening." He has a bucket, a mop, a broom, a towel, and glass cleaner. "I'm gonna make them proud." 

But it takes time to sweep up the dirt, dust the counter and the window ledges. It takes time to clean the glass and use a can of compressed air to clean all the dust out of the register (he's annoyed he has to re-dust after that, but hindsight is twenty-twenty and all that) and it takes time to mop and let it dry. Some of the vases are smudged or cracked or cloudy and he tosses the ones he can't salvage and goes to the sink in the back to fill the others with water and flower food, making a few arrangements to put in the front windows. By the time he finishes with the vases and arrangements the floor is dry and he takes the rolled-up mat from behind the counter and takes it out back to shake it out and beat it with a broom. It's a simple thing, black with a large sunflower on it, reading the business name in swirling letters underneath. It's welcoming. 

But that's just the inside of the front and there's work to be done out front. He'll need to pressure wash the sidewalk, take down the sign and repaint it, touch up the green paint on the brick outside - he's got his work cut out for him for the next week. He thinks if he just closes the stand and focuses instead on cleaning, he won't be too overwhelmed. Besides, the store could use the love and he could use a distraction from the upcoming anniversary. 

He's in the middle of rehanging a picture of his parents behind the counter and writing down another task for his renovation list when the bell above the door tinkles and Prompto is barely aware that the sun has set and that he's been working in near-darkness for a while now. 

"Ah, I wasn't sure if I should just come in, my apologies." 

It's Ignis, looking around the shop with a neutral expression until his gaze lands on Prompto. Prompto, who is covered in dust and a little sweaty and smells of cleaning supplies. 

"You seem like you've been busy, Prompto." He comments. He's changed clothes since Prompto saw him earlier, exchanging swim trunks for a pair of jeans and a tank top for a loose t-shirt. There's a thin gold chain that disappears under the shirt and his hair is laying down flat. It must have fallen out of the style while he was at the beach or showered or something, he reasons. Ignis smiles at Prompto then and it's soft and barely-there and it melts Prompto's heart. 

Since when is he such a sap?

"Oh, yeah, uh... kinda decided that I was gonna have a grand reopening of the shop next week." He shrugs. "I kinda neglect the storefront for the stand. More people go to the beach than into town, at least as far as tourists go, y'know? I get better business there, so... yeah. I just. I dunno, kinda made an impromptu decision." 

"Your card said you're the owner, so I suppose you can make whichever decisions you like, no?" Ignis leans on his elbows over the counter and it's a decidedly relaxed pose for the otherwise stiff man. Prompto likes that. 

He smiles back. "Yeah, I guess so." Then he stretches his arms over his head. "So, you're here for ranunculus!" Prompto settles a hand on his hip. "C'mon, I'll let you pick out your colors." He flips a switch on the wall and heads into the back room as the lights above him flicker on with a hum. "I don't bite, don't worry!" He laughs, seeing the hesitant look on Ignis's face. "I pinky promise I'm not a serial killer." Ignis hesitates only a moment longer before he nods and steps behind the counter to follow into the room that smells delicate and sweet. 

It's a little dusty but Ignis figures if Prompto has been neglecting it as much as he says, it could be worse. The second thing he notices is the rows and rows of containers filled to the brim with flowers and bulbs. Ignis feels like if he closed his eyes he might be able to pretend he was in a field of them. It's amazing and it's just... flowers. 

"So," Prompto says, leading him down a row of roses and carnations. "Ranunculus are very delicate. Their petals are papery and the stems are actually hollow, so you gotta make sure you don't bend them at all or they'll break." He gestures to a few different colors of flowers that look like petals wrapped into a tight spiral. They're beautiful. "Any color catch your eye?" 

"Yellow." Ignis says almost immediately. 

Prompto glances at him and smiles again. "Yellow is a good one. It's... it symbolizes joy and positive vibes and happiness. Very good if the person you're giving the flowers to is like sunshine, y'know?" 

Ignis knows. 

"I suppose so. I do have a request though, Prompto." And he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his wallet, much to Prompto's surprise. "I'd like to pick these up at a later date. Would it be possible to pay you now and get the flowers later?" 

"Yeah, that's totally cool, man!" Prompto nods. "Let's head back up front and hash out the rest of the details, okay?" 

Ignis orders a dozen yellow ranunculus and asks if Prompto delivers nearby. He does. Ignis says he'll give Prompto the address when he knows for sure where to send it and doesn't disclose any information past that, but he does wait for Prompto to finish locking up before bidding the blonde a good night and turning down the street. It just happens to be the same direction Prompto is going, so he walks with the other man. 

"So, Ignis, where are you from?" The guy has an accent that's almost what Prompto would describe as sex, he's obviously not from Lucis.

The streetlights have flicked on and as they're between pools of warm yellow light, Ignis replies. 

"I was born and grew up in Tenebrae for a time, though I've lived in Insomnia for much of my life." He explains. "My uncle and I moved there when I was... about seven or eight, I can't remember for sure. He was a designer and was commissioned to do work for Caelum, the clothing brand. I've lived in Insomnia ever since, though I know my accent may suggest otherwise." 

Prompto shakes his head. "I was just curious, that's all. So... wait, Caelum. That rich people clothing brand?" 

"It is a designer brand, yes." Ignis looks up in between another pair of street lights and Prompto sees the stars reflected in his glasses. 

"And what do you do? Usually wealthy and important people vacation here, not that that's a bad thing, but... What does Ignis Scientia do?" He's flirting unashamedly, if he's being honest. He'll never admit it though. "You know what I do, so... it's your turn to share." 

Ignis looks at him, surprised, before letting that easy smile slide over his face again. "I suppose that's fair, though I was unaware we were playing a sort of twenty-questions." Prompto laughs and Ignis stares for a second too long at the curve of Prompto's neck as he tosses his head back. "I'm a personal chef, actually." 

"Ooh," Prompto coos, suddenly looking more interested. "So you, like, make fancy dinners for people in big mansions?" 

"Ah, not quite." Ignis laughs now, more of a huff of breath, but a laugh nonetheless. "I make sure people eat healthy and balanced meals instead of ordering pizza and takeout every night of the week." And then he looks rather annoyed to Prompto. 

"Wow. That was some shade, man. Anyone you wanna flame in particular?" 

"Just..." Ignis sighs. "One of the friends I'm here with. It's his vacation house we're staying at, and he just won't eat a godsdamned vegetable." And Ignis pinches the bridge of his nose, looking frustrated. 

"Y'know, I was a picky eater growing up, but my parents just hid veggies in things I liked, like juices and stuff." 

Ignis stares at him. 

"Prompto Argentum, where have you been all my life?" 

And just as Prompto is about to answer, he feels a drop of water splatter on his nose and he knows what's coming before he's even had a chance to fully process it because just a second later the skies open up on them and Prompto is grabbing Ignis by the sleeve and tugging him down the street, towards his house, laughing. 

"What timing!" He yells over the thunder that rumbles overhead. Ignis looks like a drowned cat, hair sticking to his face as the rain comes down. Prompto reasons he must not be used to beach weather. His mom had always told him it'll change in a second if he's not paying attention. "C'mon, my house isn't that far away!"

And Ignis lets this stranger pull him along, down the sidewalk of a small town in the middle of a thunderstorm, not knowing where they're going or why he's letting the blonde lead him. Prompto is an enigma, if he's certain of one thing. The blonde had set down the magazine earlier and Ignis's heart had skipped a beat in his chest. Prompto had told him about Cindy, the diner girl Gladio was probably busy chatting up, and he'd seen a loyal and honest person. He didn't water himself down, as far as Ignis could tell, and when he smiled it was like the heavens had cracked open. 

He'd been spending too much time around Gladio and his atrocious romance novels. 

Prompto leads him through a gate in a white picket fence and up a set of wooden stairs to a pale yellow house, and as Prompto opened the screen door and worked with wet fingers to get his key in the lock, Ignis wasn't sure he wanted to be anywhere else at that moment. 

* * *

"Towel?" Prompto offered a fluffy yellow one to him a few minutes later, toweling his own hair and grinning from ear to ear, still a little out of breath from their mad dash through the rain. 

"You have my thanks," as Ignis accepts it and their fingers brush, both parties pause for a moment before Prompto, cheeks pink, turns away. 

The blonde clears his throat. "So, uh. I'm not sure when the rain will let up. You want, like, coffee or water or anything?" He doesn't usually have company, but he also doesn't spend much time at home anyways, so thankfully nothing is too messy. There's a couple dishes in the sink and the couch could be neater, but he's not embarrassed by it, at least. "I don't usually have company over, but um... oh! Are you hungry? I haven't eaten yet today and I'm starving, but if you're interested, I don't mind whipping up something quick!" Then he pauses, leading the way to the kitchen at the back of the house. It's a quaint little house, lots of greens and yellows and blues inside. Ignis, while a man with modern tastes himself, finds it adorable. He can hear the water on the windows and sees lightning turn the world outside a pale purple for a split second. No way he's leaving anytime soon. 

"Coffee would be lovely." He accepts, following the blonde. He has a feeling he's going to be following Prompto a great distance. 

"Sweet," Prompto grins and once they're in the small kitchen he sets to work getting the coffee maker set up. It's a bit archaic for Ignis's espresso-centered tastes, but he'll never turn down good coffee or good hospitality. "You want dinner? I'm probably not nearly as good of a cook as you, Mr. Professional, but I'll have you know I'm not useless in the kitchen." He winks playfully, pulling out vegetables and pots and pans and a cutting board. "And even if you say no, I'll probably make enough for two so you'd technically be doing me a favor by not saving me any leftovers." 

Another flash of thunder and lightning and Ignis finds himself nodding. "Dinner sounds wonderful." 

"Sweet," Prompto sings, going to the sink to wash his hands. Ignis notices and thanks the astrals above for that, there's nothing most disgusting than someone cooking and not washing their hands prior. "You like soup? All I really have is stock and veggies, so I'm sorry for that, I haven't gone to the farmer's market the last few days." He explains, laying out his utensils before the both of them. Ignis loves the smell of the coffee Prompto is brewing and hopes it tastes just as good, though he isn't getting his hopes up just yet.

"There's a market here?" Ignis is surprised, given the size of the town and its proximity to the beach, he can't imagine the soil is much good for farming. "I wouldn't have ever guess it." 

Prompto gives him a small smile and starts peeling the papery skin off an onion. "You probably don't know a lot about this place. Not that I can fault you, there isn't much that goes on around here. It's all pretty boring." 

"And you enjoy that?" Ignis doesn't mean to pry. Something about the way Prompto looks right now, towel around his shoulders, hair damp and messy, face illuminated by frequent flashes of lightning - there's just something about it. 

Prompto pauses to think about it. "I dunno." He answers honestly, what does he have to lose around some guy he'll probably never see again? This is just good, old-fashioned, rustic hospitality. He's being nice to a stranger. "But this is home. And I wouldn't trade anything about it for nothin'." And the grin he flashes is almost as bright as the storm outside. "What about you? You really okay living in a big, busy city? It's never quiet, there's people all over, they're rude, you can't see the stars... what's to like about that?" 

"I cannot fault you for that," He admits. "But... the city does have its charms as well. I will admit, I was admiring the view when we were walking earlier - you really cannot see stars in the city like you can here. But if you've never seen a skyscraper disappearing into morning fog, well... I daresay we both have our preferences, no?" 

"Yeah, I guess so. I still think it's a mega-bummer you don't get to see the stars." Prompto shrugs, a smile still playing at his lips. "Or the ocean. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure cities have their pretty views but I'm happy right here." 

"Oh? And when was the last time you left Angelgard?" 

Prompto pauses. 

Five years ago. His parents' funeral. They'd been buried in Duscae, on an old plot of family land. He hasn't been back since. 

Ignis watches Prompto's hands still on the knife and cutting board, eyes glazing over as he stares down at them. He isn't sure if he's said something wrong, or overstepped boundaries, but something definitely isn't right. He steps over to the blonde, carefully setting a hand on his shoulder. "Prompto?" 

The blonde jolts out of whatever thought he'd been stuck in, surprised at Ignis's sudden proximity. "Oh! Sorry, just - lost in thought, y'know?" And he laughs, taking the towel off his shoulders and draping it over the edge of the sink. Ignis moves his hand and steps back again. "Last time I left Angelgard? Let's see, been almost five years! I was eighteen." He explains. 

"You're - Pardon the diversion of topic, but you're only twenty-three? And you own a business and a home?" Noctis hasn't even managed that much and he's, for lack of a better term, filthy rich.

"What, you surprised?" And the teasing is back, but Ignis can tell it's more forced. Prompto is a bad actor, he's learning. "Yeah, I uh. Inherited the business and the house and the... well, all of it. Only child, y'know?" 

"Indeed I do. Did you inherit it from grandparents, or?" 

"Uh, no. Um. My parents." And Prompto puts the chopped onion in a bowl and sets on a few potatoes, peeling them easily with the knife. Even Ignis would have used a vegetable peeler, though he's learning quickly that Prompto probably likes to do things the old-fashioned way. "They passed away a few years ago. The shop was theirs, this is the house I grew up in... That's my dad's truck in the driveway." Ignis barely remembers seeing it through the torrential downpour, but he does know that it looked as if the grass had begun to grown around the tires, like it hadn't been driven in a long time. 

"Oh." And Ignis is mentally kicking himself. "I'm very sorry, you have my condolences, Prompto. I did not mean to pry on personal matters or bring up any unpleasant memories." 

"Nah, don't sweat it. It's been a while." He shrugs and starts cutting the potatoes into smaller pieces. "So, that reminds me! Did your friend talk to Cindy or did you pass along my warning?" 

"I'm... not sure, actually. He disappeared for a while with his sister, said something about jellyfish, so I spent the afternoon with my other friend I'm here with before I parted ways and went to join you at your store. And that reminds me - when is this 'grand reopening' you were speaking about? You said next week, if I remember?" 

Prompto nods. "Yeah, probably next... Friday? That's like a week away. Why?" 

"I was merely curious, that's all." 

They lapse into a comfortable silence and Ignis watches Prompto attempting to light his gas stove - good gods, he's really gotten himself into a mess with this boy who doesn't even have an electric stove! - before it finally catches and the blonde leaves the pot of vegetables and stock to heat. Ignis has acquired his coffee at this point and is sipping on it gently. It's some of the best he's ever had, but he wouldn't dare admit it to anyone. 

"So, how old are you, anyways?" Prompto asks, stirring the pot absently. 

"Twenty-five." Ignis pushes his now-dry hair out of his face, hating that it's probably unruly and unpleasant to look at. 

"Oh!" Prompto laughs. "I thought you were, like, way older than me or something!" 

Just as he's about to reply, he feels his phone vibrating in his pocket. As he pulls it out, he realizes that he was supposed to be back at Noct's place almost an hour ago. His excursion to the flower shop was supposed to be brief, and as he glances at the clock on Prompto's stove he realizes it's past nine o'clock already and he was supposed to be making dinner. "Excuse me for a moment, please, I must take this." And he raises the phone to his ear after swiping to accept the call. "Gladio." He greets evenly. 

" _Jesus, you alive?_ " His friend growls over the phone. " _You haven't texted any of us, we were getting worried with this weather, man._ " 

"Apologies, my friend. I, ah, got a bit distracted." He glances at Prompto, who's pulled his own cell out and appears to be tapping away on it, likely texting someone. 

" _Distracted?_ " It's Noct this time, so he reasons he must be on speaker. " _By what?_ " 

Ignis chooses his next words carefully. "I was... invited to have dinner with someone I met today. I felt it would be rude to decline after he allowed me to take shelter in his home during this storm. You'll find money to order food from the diner in the glove box of the car." He explains. "But don't get used to this sort of freedom in meals, Noctis." 

But the prince is already asking Iris what she wants, he can hear her in the background. 

" _So, let me get this straight - you met someone, he took you to his house, and he's making you dinner?_ " He sounds like he doesn't believe Ignis. He can't blame his friend for that, the whole thing sounds like a big sham. 

"Indeed." 

_"And_ _who is this mystery man?_ " 

"The florist from earlier. He did want me to ask if you listened to his warning about his friend, the diner girl. Cindy?" Prompto glances at him and smiles, nodding. "He also had wonderful recommendations for flowers if you didn't decide to give up. Very beautiful, really, I'm sure you could deliver her a lovely bouquet if that's what you wished." 

" _Stop fuckin' with me, Iggy_ ," Gladio growls. " _Just text me the address so I can come get you, okay_?" 

Ignis pulls the phone away form his mouth for a moment. "Prompto?" The blonde hums in acknowledgement, texting again. "May I have your address? I believe my friend is antsy to pick me up tonight." He lets the younger man tell him before repeating it for his friend. "Now, I'll let you know when I've finished having dinner and you may head this way." 

" _You sure you don't need me to rescue you? He is a stranger, after all_." 

Ignis smiles at Prompto, who's gone back to checking the soup, testing it with a spoon before pursing his lips and adding a pinch of salt. "I'm actually in very fair company at the moment, Gladiolus. Though I appreciate your offer, I daresay I'm having a good time." And Prompto glances at him out of the corner of his eye, a pink blush spreading onto his cheeks. 

" _If you say so. Just text me an S.O.S. if you need you._ " And as the line clicks off, Ignis pockets his phone and eases back into conversation with Prompto. 

* * *

"Hey, so, uh. Sorry if it was weird for me to invite you to my house and, like, make you dinner or something." Prompto apologizes later on as they're sitting on the porch waiting for Gladio to arrive in the car for him. "I don't usually have people over, so, like... sorry if I was weird." 

"Far from it, actually. I had a wonderful evening away from my friends and your cooking was delightful. I must thank you again for allowing me to dry off and rescuing me from the storm." Prompto smiles and sticks his legs out between bars in the railing of the porch, dangling his feet. It stopped raining as hard a little while ago, but it's still drizzling and they can hear the water pouring down the gutters on his house. 

"Glad to hear it." He looks over at where Ignis is seated on the top step and yeah, Prompto is unbelievably fucked. "You know, if you wanna, I could show you guys around a little while you're here? If you want to! I mean, like... nevermind." And Ignis watches him duck his head, blush creeping up his neck once again. 

"I believe you mentioned a farmer's market? I daresay I need to stock up on groceries. We only arrived this morning, so I haven't had time to get anything to feed us and I'll be damned if the boys eat at the diner every day." 

Prompto glances at him and nods. "I can do that. You got any plans tomorrow?" 

"Not that I'm aware of, no. Are you going to be manning the flower stand?" 

"Nah, takin' the week off to work on the shop. I'll probably be there pretty early to get a start on the outside, if you wanna just show up whenever. I'll be there and, y'know, if not you have my number." 

Ignis sees a familiar set of headlights coming down the street and he stands. Prompto follows suit, dusting off his shorts. He needs to pressure was the porch soon. He'll add it to the list of things he's been neglecting taking care of, and it seems that the list gets longer and longer with every hour. "Well, then I daresay I shall see you tomorrow, Prompto." The car parks at the end of Prompto's driveway and he can just barely make out the shape of a man in the driver's seat. "Thank you again for a pleasant evening." 

"Y-yeah! Anytime, y'know? Have a, uh, a good rest of your night, Ignis." 

"The same to you, Prompto." And he's heading down the stairs, hand above his glasses to shield them from the light rain, turning back once to look at Prompto, who waves at him. He waits until Ignis is in the car and down the road before heading inside and turning off the porch light.

He immediately calls Cindy. 

* * *

"That," Gladio asks as soon as Ignis is buckled, pulling away from the curb, "Is who distracted you?" 

It earns him a glare and a gentle slap on the arm. "Come now, Gladio, be nice. He was kind enough to allow me a place to hide from the rain, coffee, and dinner. He's perfectly harmless, I assure you." 

"Well, yeah, kid sells flowers, he ain't exactly high up on my list of threats." The older man jokes, pulling out onto a main stretch of road, phone GPS guiding him back to Noct's. "I just didn't know you had a thing for blondes." 

This time it earns him a punch on the bicep and Ignis feels his cheeks heating, grateful for the darkness of the interior of the car to hide the fact. "You're insufferable, Gladiolus." 

"Ya love me, though." 


	2. Ladders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto shows Ignis and his friends around Angelgard.

Prompto wakes up the next morning earlier than usual once again. 

He really needs to get a handle on his sleeping meds. Maybe he'll call his doctor today, though he's doubtful. It's just nerves and excitement, he knows that much.

The morning air is sticky from the storm the night before and as he reheats a cup of coffee from the pot he'd made Ignis last night, he tries not to get too far ahead of himself for the day. He needs to go on a run, check in with Cindy, and go to the hardware store for paint. He also needs to see if his dad's truck will start, because there's no way he's hauling a hose and pressure washer two miles to the shop. He was a masochist, sure, but not to that degree.

Of course, there's also the farmer's market. He'd agreed to show Ignis and his friends around today, starting with the market, and he can't help the flutter of anticipation in his stomach at the thought of getting to spend more time with the other man. He'd called Cindy the night before to gush about him, much to her amusement. 

_"He's literally so hot, Cindy," He whined, sprawled on his bed. "And he has an accent? And he's so proper, oh my gods, I'm so fucked."_

_"Oh sweetie, that's so cute! You said he was friends with that muscle head that came in earlier?"_

_"Yeah, his name's Gladio, I think. What's he look like?"_

_"Tattoos, muscles, hardly wore any clothes." She sighs. "Major flirt, honestly. Thanks for warnin' him that I wasn't interested, by the way. You really saved a girl trouble."_

_He laughs. "Anytime, Cindy. Anyways, I just wanted to call and vent about this stupid-hot stranger that was nice to me because I'm a tragic little person who likes people that are way too hot for them." He sighs dramatically. She laughs hard and he can imagine how her nose wrinkles up when she does so. "I mean it! I'm gonna waste away and die alone because all the hot people are too good for me!"_

_"Now, you know Paw-paw wouldn't want ya talkin' 'bout yourself like that! And I don't neither, so ya better learn to accept that no one's outta your league, Prom." She's using her stern voice, the same one she always used when they were younger. "Anyways, good luck with your date tomorrow, I gotta get to bed myself. Early mornin' and all. Will you stop by tomorrow?"_

_"Of course, you know me." He agrees. "Wouldn't miss seein' you for the world!"_

Now Prompto is pulling his tired body out of bed, ignoring his growling stomach in favor of reheated coffee. He hates eating when he wakes up, it makes him feel sluggish and gross and besides, he's about to run a few miles so the last thing he wants is a full stomach. Not to mention his anxiety leaves his stomach in a near-constant state of nausea, which is annoying in and of itself. 

The air sticks to his skin when he steps outside, locking the door behind him and stretching his arms over his head. The sun is just beginning is ascension into the sky and he can still see a few stars against the periwinkle backdrop of the early morning. This is his favorite time of day. The moon is just lowering over the trees now, too. 

"Okay, Prompto," He says to himself, inserting his earbuds as he begins his run to the diner to see Cindy, "No distractions today. Clear head. You got this." 

And as he runs, feet pounding on the pavement, music pumping into his ears, arms work at his sides, he keeps his thoughts from wondering and instead focuses on his breathing and his pacing. He doesn't need to rush his workouts. He has all morning to get to the diner, run a mile or two on the beach, and run home. It's like clockwork, he tells himself. It's always like clockwork. This is his normal running route, it usually takes him just over an hour between running and stopping by the diner. 

The restaurant is a bit busier than usual when Prompto enters and he's immediately aware of a booth of strangers sitting there. One is a young man, probably about his age, with dark hair and a tired expression. The second one is a hulking mass of man, all muscles and tattoos and wild hair. He's sitting next to a small girl who looks... unsettlingly cheery despite it being about seven thirty. 

"Mornin' Cindy," He greets his friend, just like every other morning, sliding into his usual counter seat where a mug of coffee is slid into his hands. He sips it. Just like yesterday, it's perfect. "You gotta tell me what you do to this coffee that makes it so good, I swear, nothing I get matches up!" 

She laughs and shakes her head. "I told ya before, Prom, it's paw-paw's blend, I can't give ya any more info than that, 'n you know it." Then she leans in close to him across the counter to mutter, "The big guy in the booth over there? With the tattoos?" Prompto nods. "That's your little boy-toy's friend. They showed up right before you, but he's leaving me alone for the mostpart. So thank ya for that." 

And then she's leaning back across the counter, hollering about an order to Cid in the kitchen. He shouts something back that Prompto doesn't quite catch because he's suddenly very aware and distracted by the presence of Ignis's friends behind him in the booth. Is he here, then? No, Prompto figures if Ignis were here, he'd be at the table with his friends. So that's a relief, but now he has to wonder if the big guy recognizes him from last night, if he got a good enough look at Prompto on the porch to know who he's looking at now. 

He'd rather not stick around to find out, if he's being honest. So, he downs the coffee, leaves a five dollar bill on the counter, and heads out of the diner as quickly as he can before he draws any unwanted attention to himself. 

As he hits the sand with his sneakers, he waves to Nyx, then to Crowe. Libertus is there this morning, too, following Nyx into the ocean and complaining loudly about the temperature. Pelna is there, too, with his waterproof camera and board. Pelna wasn't as much of a surfer as Nyx and Libertus, though he did enjoy filming them at it, posting edits on the internet. The trio hoped to make Angelgard a hot spot for surfing one day, which Prompto admired. They were talented and the videos were fun to watch, though Prompto found them scary at the same time. He didn't know how to swim, and the idea of just being out in the ocean like that make his stomach knot up, much like everything did. 

As Prompto steps out of the shower some time later, he hears his phone going off in the bedroom. Weird, he thinks, must be someone trying to get in touch about the shop. Or it's Cindy on break, bored and asking for him to come hang out with her. Wouldn't be the first time, honestly. 

But as he checks the number, he doesn't recognize it, holding it up to his ear as he slides to accept. 

"Argentum Arrangements of Angelgard, this is Prompto speaking, how may I help you?" 

"Hello Prompto," And he recognizes the accent immediately. "It's Ignis. I hope I haven't caught you too early?" 

"Not at all!" Prompto answers too quickly. "Is there, uh, anything I can do for you?" 

"I was just, er, double-checking that you'd still like to show my friends and I around the town a bit? I know you offered last night, but I just wanted to make sure that was something you were still interested in." 

"Wow, such a gentleman." Prompto teases. "Yeah, I meant it, man. Just, like, gimme a little bit? I gotta stop by the hardware store for paint and stuff and get some work done at the shop before I let myself go slacking off."

"Of course, I only wished to check. Well then, I suppose I shall see you later." 

"Yeah, totes." Did he really just say 'totes' to the hottest guy he's ever met? Kill him now. "I'll give you a ring when you can head over to the shop to meet me, 'kay?" 

"I shall be waiting for your call, then. Good-bye, Prompto." 

"Bye." And he's grinning like an idiot when he hangs up, rubbing his hands over his face. "Fuck me _running_ , oh my gods." He groans. 

* * *

The truck, much to Prompto's delight, still runs, albeit much less smoothly than he remembers. He'll have to drop it off with Cid to get a tune up. Not only is the guy one of the best cooks he's ever had the pleasure of eating food from, but he's also one hell of a mechanic and Prompto thinks he'll get a kick out of servicing the old thing for probably the millionth time. It had always had its share of problems, being older than Prompto himself, but his dad never wanted to give up on it. 

Once he has his cans of paint and brushes and trays and rollers and every other thing he'd need for this project, he finds the ladder in the storage closet of the shop and gets to work pressure washing the bricks on the front of the store, grimacing at the way the paint flakes off. The sidewalk, for what it's worth, looks amazing once he's done with it. 

It's as he's taking the sign down that things get difficult. There's a screw holding it up that's rusted on and he can't quite get it out and he's wrestling with it, putting most of his strength into turning it, when it finally gives and Prompto goes toppling off the ladder. 

He winces, bracing for impact, but hears a soft 'oof' and feels hands wrap around him instead as his feet drop clumsily onto the sidewalk and he steadies himself. The fall hadn't been that great of a distance and had been broken by none other than Ignis himself. 

"Oh!" He's leaning into Ignis's chest, trying to stand back up on his own when hands steady him. "Ignis!" 

"Prompto," The older man greets, smiling at him fondly. "Do you usually make it a habit of falling off of ladders?" 

"No! I just - there was a screw on the sign and - oh shit! Hold on, lemme get this down real quick!" He pulls out away and starts to head back up the ladder, noting that Ignis grabs the base of it and watches him. "Why are you here, by the way? It's still super early, man." He gets a hand on the wooden sign and takes the other screws out of it before handing it to Ignis's outstretched hands. 

"I suppose I just wanted to get away from my friends again. They're being rather insufferable today, and I sort of just... ended up here. It's a good thing, too, otherwise I'm afraid you'd be more of a pancake than a person right now." He sets the sign against the side of the building and holds the ladder again as Prompto gets down. 

"Well... thank you for catching me. I owe you one for that." He leans against the ladder, attempting to look casual and not like he almost just broke his fucking neck falling off a ladder. 

Ignis waves his hand. "Nonsense. I was just helping, that's all." He looks at the sign. "Are you... repainting this?" 

"Well, technically I'm repainting the outside today since I just pressure washed most of the old stuff off and I'm not sure how long that's gonna take so... the sign is the least of my worries right now, honestly. I don't wanna have to spend too much time on this, but we'll just have to see, huh?" And he gives Ignis a smile so bright he could swear it puts the sun to shame. Prompto smiles at him a lot once Ignis really thinks about it and he finds that he quite enjoys it. 

"I daresay we shall." Then, because he doesn't know when to leave things alone, Ignis adds, "Would you like some help?"

Prompto looks at him, surprised once again. "You know I can't ask you to help me, man! I can't, like, pay you or anything." 

"Then it's a good thing I'm offering, isn't it? You've agreed to take time out of your day for me and I believe that is sufficient enough in terms of a reward for getting to... spend a little more time with you, as it were." 

Oh. _Oh._ Prompto feels his cheeks heat and he bites his lip, ducking away from Ignis's gaze. "Y-yeah... I guess so." Then, before he loses his nerve, he stands tall and walks over to the can of paint he has yet to open. "Well then, first job for you - open this for me because this lid is on way too tight for me to get off." 

Ignis can't help the laugh that falls from his lips, or the way Prompto smiles up at him, or the fact that he ends up getting forest green paint all over his jeans (much to Prompto's amusement and his own abject horror) but he finds that he enjoys chatting with Prompto as they work.

"Man," Prompto says after a couple of hours. They've finally managed to finish one side of the building. As it sits on the corner of a row of shops, there's only two sides they really need to worry about, though Ignis won't lie and say he isn't burning up under the sun. There isn't a cloud in the sky today, unlike yesterday, and his tank top doesn't do much to cool him off. "It's hot. You wanna take a break?" 

"If that's what you'd like." Ignis says, wiping a bead of sweat off his brow. "If you'd like to keep going, though, I won't object." 

The blonde snorts a laugh and shakes his head, carefully climbing down the ladder from where he'd been touching up the top of the wall. "I've got some tea in the mini fridge if you want some?" 

"Tea?" 

"Sorry, it's not like, fancy tea or anything. Just some iced tea with lemon juice. I promise it's refreshing!" 

And there's that smile again, just as radiant as before and how could any sane man say no? 

"That sounds delightful." 

* * *

Gladio, Noctis, and Iris show up thirty minutes later after texting Ignis and asking where he is. 

"So... what are your friends like?" Prompto asks, sipping his tea. It isn't quite the way his mom used to make it, but it's close. "I know you mentioned one is a picky eater and the other is a 'womanizer', but... what exactly am I gettin' myself into here?"

"Gladio, er, he'll probably introduce himself as Gladiolus, is... a bit hard-headed, if I must admit. He's stubborn. Once he sets his mind to something, that's all he can focus on. Much like your friend Cindy at the diner, he has a strange habit of flirting relentlessly with anyone he finds attractive. He usually knows when to back off, though. He's much more kind than you may originally believe, but he does have a heart of gold." Ignis takes a sip of the tea. It isn't sweet, as he's been lead to believe most people enjoy their iced tea, but the lemon makes it less bitter. It's perfectly satisfying. "Noctis is a brat. Though, I do love him dearly, as he is one of my oldest friends, he more often than not makes my days more difficult than they need to be. He's a loyal friend, though, and I wouldn't change a thing about him. Except his aversion to anything from the vegetable family. He's a proper _thorn_ in my side." 

The joke lands and Prompto has to cover his mouth with how loud he laughs, caught off guard by the pun. "Did you just-?" 

Ignis acts as though nothing has happened. "Iris," he continues, as though nothing happened. "Is Gladio's younger sister. A real firecracker, that one. She's fiercely independent, though she provides a strong sense of security for the both of them. She's active in the community back in Insomnia, attends rallies and protest for causes she believes in." He glances at Prompto, who's listening intently. "You remind me quite a bit of her, actually." 

"Who, me?" Prompto shakes his head. "No way, I'm nothing like what you just described!" 

"No, perhaps not, but you have the same spirit about you. Your loyalty to Cindy yesterday proved as much. I can't think of many people that would willingly defend their friend from the labor of dealing with a man's unwated advances the way you did. I'm sure she was grateful when you told her, no?" 

"Well... yeah, but that's just cause she's my best friend! You can't assume the kind of person I am just because I did the right thing once!" 

"If I'm not mistaken, you also let a stranger into your home and cooked a meal for him last night, did you not?" 

"I mean... yeah." 

Ignis smiles at him. "You've done nothing but prove yourself to be a kind and benevolent soul to those you deem worthy. Which is a perfectly admirable trait to have, is it not? Of course, I'm not encouraging you to go out and let anyone you meet sleep on your couch - far from it - but you don't seem to understand just how... gravitational you are, do you?" 

"What do you mean?" 

Before Ignis has the chance to respond, the bell above the door rings and there are his companions entering the small shop. Gladio is looking around suspiciously, Iris smiles and waves, and Noctis is busy texting. Likely his girlfriend, Lunafreya, who's on vacation in Altissia for the summer and who he won't admit he misses sorely. 

"Hi!" Iris chirps, walking confidently up to Prompto, who looks surprised by her bubbly demeanor. "I'm Iris! You must be Prompto, right?" 

He shakes her hand, still looking shocked. "Uh, y-yeah. Nice to meet you." 

And then she's pushed aside gently by the behemoth of a man that he has to assume is Gladio. "Gladiolus." And when Prompto shakes his hand, he does his best not to wince. He's used to these alpha-male types. They show up in town every summer and try to harass him about selling flowers and they're the same ones that pester Cindy. If Ignis is telling the truth about the guy being a softy, he'll take Ignis's word for it, but for now he knows he needs to stand his ground. "You got quite a grip for such a shrimp." Gladio grunts, letting go. Ignis hisses a, 'Gladiolus' at his friend, but they both ignore it.

"Back at you." And then Noctis looks up from his phone long enough to look Prompto over, disinterested. 

"Noctis. You play King's Knight?" 

Prompto is stunned once again, nodding. "Uh, y-yeah?" 

"You wanna be our fourth tonight? Iris doesn't play." 

Prompto glances at Ignis, who shakes his head and sighs, pinching his nose. "Sounds like a plan." 

"So, Ignis said you're gonna show us around the town a little today?" Iris shoves her way back in front of her brother and when Prompto glances between them he can see the similarities. They have the same amber eyes, the same hair, and the same nose, though Iris's is a bit more dainty. She's barely half his size, also, which makes him wonder what their parents must look like. 

"Yeah! I figured we could hit the farmer's market since Ignis said he needs groceries, and then there's the boardwalk - best skewers you can get on this side of Eos, I swear - and then, maybe, if you guys want, there's a really scenic spot that's a bit of a hike to get to. It looks really great when the sun is going down. Of course, if not, there's always other places, but we can tackle today one place at a time." 

Iris looks stoked, to say the least, grinning and hanging on her brother's arm. "That sounds great! Doesn't it sound like fun, Gladdy?" 

"Iris," he hisses.

"No, no, don't be embarrassed around me, _Gladdy_." Prompto says, hearing Noctis snort and seeing Ignis cover his mouth out of the corner of his eye. "I'm just your tour guide today." 

Ignis butts in before things can get any more absolutely out of hand. "Prompto, why don't we clean up outside before we leave? I'd hate the paint to get dry, wouldn't you?" And he leads the way back out front. Prompto has no choice but to follow. What is he supposed to do, let Ignis clean up alone? Hell no. 

"Thanks for helping me today, man. I super appreciate the help, it probably would have taken me all day to get this done on my own." He folds up the tarp they'd laid out on the sidewalk and sets the dirty brushes in an empty paint tray while Ignis folds the ladder and taps the lid back onto the paint can. "And, uh, thanks again for breaking my fall." He ducks his head. 

"Come now, I hardly think I've done anything worth the praise you're giving me." Ignis smiles at him gently. "You're too kind to me, really, I should be thanking you for putting up with my friends. You handled them much better than I expected." 

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Prompto laughs. "You think I can't handle a hyper teenager and a meathead? You give me too little credit, Ignis Scientia." 

"I daresay, if you use my full name like that I may get scared." 

"Oh, the guy's got jokes!" And he laughs again, opening the door inside for Ignis to bring the ladder. "Here, follow me, I'll show you where to put the ladder," the other three step out of their way and Prompto's aware of Gladio staring him down, though he does his best to ignore it. He's bigger than that, he tells himself, he's better than some Chad trying to make him back down. This is his town and he'll be damned if some tourist intimidates him now. "In that closet there, Ignis." He dumps the brushes in one of the sinks in the back. Usually he uses them to clean containers and vases, but he figures a little paint never hurt any sinks. Besides, he's the only person that sees the back of the shop anyways. He starts rinsing the brush, doing his best to salvage it. He'd rather not buy a new brush every time he takes a break during a project. It comes out okay, but there's a few stubborn globs towards the handle that he can't seem to get. 

"Rubbing alcohol should do the trick." Ignis offers, watching him closely. "If you wish you get the dried paint out." 

"Oh!" Prompto nods. "Thanks... I'll try that later." 

"Of course. Now, I believe we have a date with a farmer's market?" 

Prompto tries not to let his heart soar at the word 'date'. It's a perfectly common word that normal people use all the time. Like when they're going on dates. Fuck. 

* * *

"So, Prompto," Iris asks once they're in the market. Ignis has gone off with a grocery list with Noctis and Gladio in tow, much to the older man's disbelief. Ignis had assured him that Iris would be in good hands with Prompto, which had done nothing to stifle his concern. "You sell flowers?" 

"Yeah. Can I get two carrots and three onions, please?" He asks the shop keeper. He'd gone to school with her son for most of his life. He'd gone off to join the Lucian military right out of high school and hadn't come home to visit since. "Thank you. Please, keep the change." 

"You know," She says, narrowing her eyes at him. "One of these days I'm not gonna give you the option to not get change, sonny." 

Prompto laughs and waves to her as he leads Iris to a different stall. 

"People seem to like you around here," Iris comments a short while later after he's bought all the groceries he really needs, tucking them into a mesh bag he's slung around his shoulder. "It's nice seeing so many friendly faces. People aren't like this back home." She waves to another young girl tending to a table with jars of honey. Prompto looks at the table briefly before picking up a couple of stick filled with the sweet substance, sliding a few dollars to the girl, who objects that it's too much money, but he waves her off and hands one of the sticks to Iris. 

"You ever eat a honey stick?" 

"No, but I've eaten honey when I had a sore throat!" She examines it. Prompto shows her how to bite the end open with her molars and grins. 

"Trust me when I tell you this is gonna be the best honey you've ever had." And when her eyes widen as they make their way down the aisles of the stalls, he grins. "Good, right?" She nods quickly. "Told ya." 

"How come you keep over-paying people, Prompto?" 

He pauses, examining an orange. "Because... when my parents passed away they left me with more money than I'll probably ever need. I live in my childhood house, so I don't have to pay for much besides rent on the store and my bills, so I try to give as much back to the town as I can. These people are just as much part of Angelgard as I am, and if I can do anything to help, I will. All the merchants here put a lot of hard work into growing and harvesting and making their goods, and I'm appreciative of them for that. They're the reason I get to eat good food, so I want to be the reason they get to eat at night, too." 

"Wow." She sighs. "You're... a really good person, y'know that?" 

He laughs again after paying for the oranges he picked out. "C'mon, I'm just a guy!" He deposits them in his bag. "I just... don't want people to struggle, y'know? If there's ever anything I can do to help someone, I want to do it. Maybe I'm naive for that, but I like to think I'm just hopeful. Now, come on, I gotta get you back to your brother before he rips my head off." 

Iris rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. "He's such a bully." She huffs. "If Iggy thinks you're fine, you probably are and that's good enough for me and Noct. Gladdy's just over-protective, he always has been. It's so... suffocating!" 

"... Iggy?" 

She smiles at him. "Yeah! I bet if you call him that he'll get all embarrassed the same way Gladdy does!" 

"What makes you say that?" 

"C'mon, he obviously likes you!" Iris elbows him playfully, giggling. "He's usually such a stoic, stuffy tightwad, not that I don't love him, but he seems like he likes you. I'm not sure he'd take just any old stranger up on dinner, y'know." 

Prompto doesn't have time to process exactly what she means before they're bumping back into the other three and Iris is asking Gladio if he saw anything interesting. "Isn't this place great?" She gushes. "There's so much stuff! If I had my way, I'd buy it all up." 

Noct smiles at her. "I'm sure you would." 

The dark-haired man doesn't talk much, but Prompto gets the idea he's more of a watch-and-listen type of guy than an in-the-action kind of guy. Gladio is still eyeing Prompto over when Ignis speaks. 

"I must admit Prompto, I'm not sure I could have found fresher ingredients. Thank you for showing me here, I'm very grateful." 

The blonde waves him off and smiles. "Nah, no biggie! You wanna drop that stuff off at your place and I'll drop my stuff at mine and we can meet back at the store?"

"Sounds like a plan." Gladio grunts, leading the rest of them off. Ignis turns and gives Prompto a small wave, which he returns. 

The walk to his truck is quiet, but he likes it. Iris was a chatterbox and while he did find her to be charming and sweet, he was also much more of an introvert than he let on most of the time. Today would probably drain his social battery something awful, but at least it was just one day. One day and then he could go back to his mundane routine. One day and he could just wave at the four of them from his flower stand, or in the diner early in the morning, or at the farmer's market. After today he can forget about this weird crush he's getting on Ignis. 

Then, as he's pulling away from the market, he thinks about what Iris said. He obviously likes you. Prompto doesn't know the guy well enough to know if he's normally as friendly and trusting of strangers as he has been of Prompto, but something tells him that's not the case. He wonders if maybe, just maybe, Ignis is just as enamored with him as he is with the older man. 

But as he gets home and loads his veggies into the fridge and puts his fruits in his little hanging basket contraption - seriously, he's never understood what to call them - he shakes the thought. There's no way someone as cool and attractive as Ignis is even remotely interested in someone like Prompto. Ignis has 'modern' and 'city' written all over him, there's no reason for him to find anything about Prompto's small-town charm remotely interesting. He's just a guy on vacation that found a willing local to show him all the best things so that he can make his stay in the middle of nowhere more bearable until he gets back into the hustle and bustle of Insomnia. 

That's what Prompto tells himself as he drives back to the shop, truck rumbling along, and that's what he tells himself when the rest of them show up a few minutes later and Ignis flashes him the same gentle smile he has been since they met yesterday. That's what Prompto tells himself as he walks with them a few blocks to the boardwalk where Libertus and Crowe are selling their Galahdian Skewers and where Nyx is skating with Pelna, who is still filming. They're not much older than Prompto, but he's been around long enough to know them. 

"Heya Prompto!" Libertus greets him. "Been a while since you dropped by!" Libertus has always been a funny guy to Prompto. He's loud and soft and kind to him and always has been. "You brought some friends, I see. Givin' 'em the grand tour?" 

"Yeah, you know I can't show someone around without takin' em by for your food." He turns to Crowe and ducks his head. "Crowe, it's good to see you." 

And at that moment, Nyx rolls up, pulling Prompto into a bear hug. "Don't tell me you're still scared of little old Crowe!" He laughs, ruffling the blonde's hair before setting him down. "High school was a long time ago, man." 

"She dislocated my jaw!" He exclaims, ducking away from an attempt at putting him into a headlock. He used to hang out with the four of them when he'd been younger. Nyx taught him how to skate in high school, but once his parents passed he stopped doing things like that. He had a business to run, after all. 

"It was an accident!" Crowe throws her hands up. "I told you that! It's not my fault your _face_ just so happened to get in the way of my _hand_!" 

Prompto laughs anyways. He's scared of her, sure, but it's more because he saw her beat the living shit out of a guy in their school for grabbing her ass in the hallway. Then she dislocated his jaw, and then he was even more afraid of her. "Normal people don't send people to the hospital during dodgeball, Crowe!" 

She just gives him a smile and shakes her head. "So, who're your friends?" And Prompto is then aware that he's been neglecting his small entourage for his old friends. 

"Oh! Sorry guys," He turns and points to each of them in turn. "This is Gladio and his sister Iris, this is Noctis, and uh, this is Ignis. They're from Insomnia." 

"Ooh, city folks." Nyx looks them over one by one, nodding. "You guys look the part." 

Gladio narrows his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Just means you dress like tourists, walk like tourists, and uh, you're _also_ kinda sunburned." Crowe puts a hand on her hip. "Now, as much as I love making friends I do have a business to run, so I'm assuming you came here because Prompto mentioned us, right?" 

"Indeed." Ignis agrees, looking completely at ease despite the fact that he's surrounded by strangers. "I hold his opinion to a high standard, so I'm excited, to say the least." 

"Well, you came the right place!" Nyx laughs, grabbing paper plates and tongs and loading them up. "These ones are on the house, since Prompto's giving us free marketing, apparently." He throws a playful wink at the blonde who blushes. A lifetime ago, Prompto had the most massive crush on Nyx. But Nyx only loves two things, which are surfing and skating, in that order. When Libertus finally got the guts to ask out Crowe, Nyx had taken out his despair over two of his best friends hooking up on Prompto, and it had been the first and last time Prompto was involved with anyone. He had no ill feelings for the guy, just a lot of heartache he'd had to get over when he realized his feelings for Nyx weren't returned in the way he wanted them to be. 

"You sure?" Noctis looks skeptical as he's handed a plate. 

Crowe sighs and shakes her head. "I swear, you two are gonna put us out of business. But, I'm outnumbered, so yeah, go nuts. Don't expect royal treatment everytime, though, Prom's just got a special place here." 

Prompto will leave an envelope with some cash in their mailbox tonight on his way home. The plates they're loading up are way too much food for any one person to reasonably accept without feeling bad. "I'm actually good, guys, don't worry about making me any." He says when Libertus offers a plate to him. 

"Are you sure, bud?" Nyx asks, frowning. "You're turnin' down the curried skewers?" 

"Yeah, I'm ah, not hungry." He explains. It's easier than explaining his anxiety makes him want to vomit all the time, at least. "Maybe I'll stop by later, though!" 

Crowe narrows her eyes but they don't press the issue. "Well. Come by more often, Prom." Then she turns to the rest of them. "You guys... take care. Come back soon, too." 

They wander off after that and Noctis, for the first time all day, doesn't stop talking. 

"Wow, this is amazing." The rest of them agree. 

"I daresay I could make this for you at home, if you'd like, Noct." And Prompto remembers that, right, Ignis is Noct's personal chef or something. It's his job to cook good food for the guy, which is a weird dynamic in his opinion. He can't imagine working for his friends at all. 

They pass by a few more food stands and make easy conversation, Gladio seeming to forget his original distaste for Prompto, though the blonde wonders if that's because he scored them free food and didn't let his sister get lost at the market earlier. Ignis walks behind the rest of them with Iris, once again entertaining her chattering. 

"So, like, you know those people?" 

Prompto nods. "Yeah, I used to hang out with them all the time in high school. We would skate together and stuff after school and hang out on the weekends when I wasn't helping my parents at the flower shop. Pelna, the guy with the camera, he always wanted to make a video that would get a lot of hype on the internet. I mean, I guess it hasn't happened yet, otherwise I'm sure they'd, like, own a skate shop instead of a skewer stand, but hey, they can dream, right?" 

She nods. "They seem really nice. Everyone around here seems pretty nice, actually, now that I think about it. But how come you don't hang out with them anymore?" 

Iris asks a lot of questions, Prompto realizes quickly. "I just... Once I took over the shop, I stopped making time to have fun. I mean, now that I say it out loud it sounds pretty sad, but I haven't skated in about five years, so I doubt I'd be any good at it anymore anyways." He laughs quietly. "I guess people just grow up sometimes, and sometimes that means you have to stop doing things you like." 

Ignis finds his way back to them and Iris, thank the astrals above, drops the subject and runs back up to Noctis and Gladio, smiling from ear to ear. 

"Having fun?" Prompto asks, eyeing the taller man. Ignis nods. "Good. I'm glad. I'd hate to drag you around my stuffy little town all day and make you feel like you're being forced to do these things." 

"On the contrary, I'm having a wonderful time. It's... less hectic than I had expected. I didn't get to properly express it earlier, but the market really was lovely. The people there are very kind and helpful." 

"Man, everyone keeps saying that." He laughs. "Iris is super blown away by how nice I am to everyone and how nice they are in return." He watches her, the rest of them a decent distance ahead of them as they walk towards the end of the pier the boardwalk sits on. "Are people really that mean in the city?" 

"Not all of them, no, but there's many more people and much less time to get to know them all as intimately as I'm sure you can here. Everyone in the city is doing their best to get by, as I'm sure people out here do as well, but a dollar goes fast, or whatever the saying is." 

Prompto nods and he looks up. The sky is clear still, which gives him hope that their little hike later won't get rained out. "I can't imagine looking at someone and not knowing who they are. I mean, I can, because tourists come here to vacation, but... to look at most people on the street and not know their name or at least what they do? It sounds... weird. Maybe I'm just sheltered, though." 

"Mm, perhaps, but I can't imagine wanting to leave a life as simple as this for something as complicated and messy as city life. Angelgard is a beautiful place. I wouldn't want to leave, either, if I were you." 

"Yeah, well... sometimes it does get old. Everyone knows everyone, so everyone knows everyone's baggage. 'Specially me and Cindy's." He sighs. "News travels fast around here, y'know? I'm sure tomorrow I'll have people asking me about my new friend with the glasses and what you do and how we know each other." He smiles, though. "Despite all of that, though... Like I said yesterday - my life is easy. I don't really have anything to complain about, y'know?"

"I suppose so." Ignis stops walking for a moment and Prompto pauses next to him, waiting for him to speak. "Would you... er, I suppose this may be a bit forward, but would you like to come over for dinner tonight?" 

"Like - dinner with you guys? At your big fancy vacation house?" He thinks about it. "You're cooking?" 

"I am." 

Prompto grins. "I get to eat fancy personal-chef cooking in a big fancy house? Count me in, man." 

"Hey!" Iris calls to them from the end of the pier, waving her hands over her head. "Come quick! You gotta see this, Ignis!" 

They hurry over, wondering what in the world she could be so excited about when Prompto sees them. He's gotten used to the sight, but he knows that for Iris it may be one of the first times she's seen dolphins, diving above and then below the water. Ignis laughs lightheartedly when he sees the awe on the others faces. He settles a hand on Prompto's shoulder, and while the blonde can't quite decipher what it means, he just knows he feels oddly at ease in the moment. 

* * *

"We have to walk to get there?" Noctis is griping in the back seat as Ignis follows Prompto's old, blue pickup truck that's rumbling a tiny bit too much for him to be comfortable with the other man driving it. But Prompto seems to have his life sorted out, so he doesn't comment and just follows. "So annoying." 

"You do realize we're here because you wanted to take the summer off and come here, right?" Gladio snaps. "You also agreed to come with us today, so quit your whining." 

"It'll be fun, Noct!" Iris insists. "Besides, Prompto said it wasn't too far, so I think you'll live!" 

"Yeah, speakin' of Prompto," Gladio leans across the center console to stare hard at Ignis. "What's your deal with him, anyway?" 

"Gladdy!" Iris protests. 

Ignis pushes the larger man back onto his side of the car gently, eyes trained on the road. "He's simply someone I met that's being helpful. I don't see why you're so hung up on the fact that I'm allowed to meet people, Gladiolus. He helped me yesterday and he's helping us today." 

"Yeah, and you helped him paint a building - you gotta think I'm pretty stupid, huh?" 

"On the contrary, you're a smart man. If you can't pick up on what's going on here, then I doubt anyone could." He side eyes the ever-loving fuck out of his friend. "If you think I'm so prudent as to not indulge myself when I've met someone I find attractive, you can keep those thoughts to yourself. He's kind, he's helpful, and I owe him for yesterday." 

"Yeah, and you wanna bang him." Noctis chimes in, texting his girlfriend once again. Iris wrinkles her nose at him, put off by his crass language. "No big deal, Specs, I've just never seen you this interested in someone before. So what is it about him that's got you ready to follow his lead into a literal forest? What if he's some kind of freaky sex-trafficker and we're all about to be kidnapped?" 

Ignis laughs. "I can most certainly assure that isn't the case. He's a florist, Noctis, not a murderer or kidnapper." 

"That you know of," Gladio mumbles. "For all we know he could be! You know better than to follow strangers around, man. What if I hadn't called last night and he'd, like poisoned your food or something?" 

Ignis sighs and pulls over on the side of the road when Prompto does, turning the car off. "I want to hear no more of this, please, gentlemen. He's just a kind person." 

"He's right," Iris chimes in from the back seat. "You should have seen him at the market, Gladdy! He knew everyone, and they were all super nice to me, too! He pays extra for stuff because he said he likes to give back to his community, and that just doesn't sound like the kind of person that could hurt someone. Also, did you see how scared he was of that girl earlier? If he's scared of her, he's definitely scared of you." 

Gladio looks uncertain still, and Ignis sighs. "I suppose you'll have to judge him for yourselves, but I believe he's a good person. And yes, I will admit, I am... attracted to him, though I've no interest in ruining a perfectly good potential-friendship over such things. I build relationships to last, you know. I have no time or place in my life for a summer fling. You of all people should know that." And with that, Gladio is cringing and Ignis is getting out of the car. 

"You're kinda being a jerk, Gladdy. Prompto's nice." And she slides out of the car, too. Noctis doesn't say anything before getting out, just throws him a raised eyebrow in the rear-view mirror. 

Gladio watches as Prompto waves awkwardly at the three of them, chewing on his lip. Gladio knows how to read body language and all he can pick up off the kid's demeanor is that he's nervous or insecure with the way he always fidgets with the hem of his shirt, or rubs his arms, or crosses them over himself. Then he sees how easy Ignis seems to relax around the kid, how he smiles when Prompto talks, or laughs at something he says. 

Gladio had his chance years ago, and he blew it. They both knew nothing would ever happen again, but it didn't mean Gladio wasn't still hurt about his own mistakes. But he had to live with the consequences now, and that was watching Ignis fall for someone in front of his eyes. 

"I guess all I can do is be a good friend." He sighs, getting out of the car himself finally, joining them. "Sorry to keep you waiting." 

Prompto gives him a smile and shakes his head, waving a hand. "Don't sweat it, big guy! You guys ready? We should get there right before sundown if we hurry! And don't worry," He pulls a flashlight out of his pocket. "I won't let us get lost on the way back, promise!" 

Once Gladio puts his jealousy aside, he can see why Ignis is so drawn to the scrawny guy. 

He's covered in freckles, for one, which Gladio never would have pegged as something Ignis was into, but there's a first for everything and people are always full of surprises. He's also got the bluest eyes Gladio thinks he's ever seen, with flecks of violet, and when he smile Gladio can tell it's like seeing the sun for Ignis.

He's actually leading them up an unkempt trail. It has signs, at least, which lets him know that this isn't technically the middle of the woods, but rather an unused trail to a scenic overlook. It sets his mind at ease a little bit as he listens to the blonde talk. 

"My mom used to take me up here sometimes for picnics when I was little. It used to be a popular place to go for, like, proposals and stuff, back when the town was a little more booming, but that was before I was born, and now it's kinda just... my own little secret." 

Iris asks him an endless stream of questions about his life and the town and what it's like to sell flowers.

"Selling flower is... well, it's all I really know, y'know? The business was my parents' before it was mine, and I grew up around it so it's kinda second nature, y'know? I'd never dream of doing anything else with my life. It's not that I've, like, resigned myself to it, but I actually enjoy it. Sometimes you get a request for a super specific flower, or a bouquet for an important event and you just kinda realize, wow, this could make or break the situation, so I've gotta make sure this bride has her peonies and her lilies, or this guy wants to ask a girl to prom, so I have to make sure there's the right meaning behind it. It's more work than you think. Flower arranging is a whole other ball park, too, man. Talk about a pain in the ass!" 

Iris laughs, even Noctis is smirking as Prompto tells stories about people who don't seem to know any flowers besides roses for special occasions. 

"I swear! It's like people don't know that tulips are just as, if not more, meaningful than roses! Like, I'm a florist! It's my job to know what you want when you don't!" 

Gladio has to admit, the kid has something about him that even he can't put a finger on. It's like whenever he talks, everyone else listens. 

He also hates to say it, but the view when they get to their destination is breathtaking. The sun is just starting to dip below in the sky, reflecting off the ocean in an almost picturesque way. It looks to perfect to be real. The area itself is a small clearing at the top of a cliff, safety rail keeping them from getting too close to the edge, but Gladio can still see waves breaking on the side and against rocks. They can also see the whole town nestled away below them and Prompto grins as they take in the scenery. 

"It's great, right?" 

Even Noctis is off his phone to take it all in. 

Ignis hadn't expected much from a 'scenic overlook', but he's thoroughly impressed, to say the least. Noctis takes a few pictures, probably to send to Luna later, and Gladio holds Iris up on his shoulders so she can see even farther. It's a familial moment, and one that he's glad Prompto allowed him to have. As Prompto takes a look over the rooftops of his hometown, setting sun reflecting off his hair, Ignis can't help but agree. 

"Absolutely gorgeous." 

They let the sun set for a few more minutes before Iris frowns. 

"Hey, Prompto? What's that old burned-down building over there?" They all turn to look where she's pointing, seeing a decrepit and blackened building resting in the heart of the town, just a few blocks away from where Ignis assumes the flower shop is, and a few blocks from the reflective exterior of the Hammerhead Diner. 

Ignis sees Prompto get that same far-away look in his eyes as he'd gotten last night when Ignis had asked when the last time he left Angelgard was. 

"Oh," Prompto says, absently. "The diner used to be there. Burned down about five years ago, so they moved it. Gas leak in the kitchen. It caught on fire, then, uh... blew up, pretty much." 

_"Last time I left Angelgard? Let's see, been almost five years!"_ He'd told Ignis last night as he made dinner. _"Everyone knows everyone's baggage. 'Specially me and Cindy's."_ It starts to fall into place in Ignis's mind. _"They passed away a few years ago."_ And as Ignis watches Prompto's eyes lose their focus, he can only imagine what's going through his mind.

Iris sighs sadly. "That's so sad." 

Prompto nods. "Yeah. It was. Nothin' anyone could have done about it, though, y'know? Most people don't go near it nowadays, it's sorta just... a thing no one talks about." 

Noctis shakes his head. "I bet it was pretty devastating for the town. Did... did anyone get hurt?" 

Ignis watches Prompto's throat work for a moment before he speaks, and it's tense. "Yeah. A few people." And Ignis feels like the air has been knocked out of him as he watches Prompto's jaw lock up, watches him turn away from the town below, looking out over the ocean again. "But that's all in the past, y'know? Like I said, no one talks about it." Then, almost as quick as his mood had fallen, Prompto's grinning. "Besides, that's the sad stuff! I'm here to show you the cool and fun stuff! And it's getting dark, too, we should head back to the cars now." 

Gladio helps Iris off his shoulders and Noct starts sending messages to Luna, pictures of the view, and even though Prompto doesn't see Ignis's face in the dark of the forest around them as he leads the way down the trail with his flashlight, Ignis can't take his eyes off him. 

"Are you still up for dinner?" He asks quietly while Iris and Noctis talk behind them. "I'd understand if you've had a long day and wish to retire, really." 

Prompto shakes his head. "No way, you got me all excited for some good cooking! You think I'd take a rain just just because I did some painting and ran some errands? Think again, my friend. I also agreed to be Noctis's fourth for King's Knight tonight. So, it sounds like you're just gonna be stuck with me for a little longer." 

"I can think of worse ways to have to spend my evening." 

"Yeah, like having someone as absolutely awesome as me not there to tell you what a great cook you are!" 

"You seem to have a lot of faith in cooking that you haven't tried yet." His voice is dry, but amused and as Prompto turns, he raises an eyebrow. 

"Is Ignis a good cook?" 

Iris grins and nods. "The best!" 

"Uses too many veggies." Noctis gripes.

Gladio nods as well. "Pretty damn good." 

The blond turns back to Ignis and laughs. "I think I'm right to have faith in your abilities as a chef, Iggy." It slips out before he can stop himself and he blames Iris wholeheartedly for putting the idea in his head that he should call the older man that. "I mean - I won't - Iris told me to, and I just - !"

Ignis bumps his shoulder against Prompto gently, smiling. "Everyone calls me something. You can call me that if you'd like, I don't mind. It's better than 'Specs' if I must admit." 

"Oh, I am _so_ calling you that from now on!" And as Ignis groans and complains about how he regrets mentioning it already, Prompto forgets the diner, forgets the anniversary coming up, and forgets all his problems for now. He has better things on his mind. 

* * *

_I hope this isn't presumptuous, but I just wanted to see if you got home safe and also see if you had a good time at dinner._

_I also want to apologize for the behavior of my friends. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for subjecting you to them today._

Prompto stares at the texts as he's brushing his teeth, they're sent a minute apart and even though the number isn't saved, he knows it's Ignis, so he saves the contact in his phone and taps out a quick reply.

_Made it home safe! Thanks for checkin in and dont sweat it on the friend stuff, i had a gr8 day! :) hope u did 2 btw yr cooking is like 12/10 omg <3_

He hesitates to send it, wondering if it's too exited or too desperate, but then he remembers that this is just a guy being nice to him and he figures he's got nothing to lose, hitting the paper airplane to send his reply to Ignis. As he's climbing into bed and turning off the light, his phone buzzes again. Another text from Ignis. 

_I'm glad to hear it. And I had a lovely day, thank you again. I hope we get the opportunity to do something together soon._

Prompto does _not_ shove his face in a pillow to let out an excited noise. He absolutely doesn't. 

_For sure! Just hmu whenever you feel like hanging, my schedule's pretty open if it needs to be!_

Prompto puts his phone on the side table and decides that he's not going to keep himself up just to text a guy. He's not in high school, he has a job to do and a lot to get done in the next few days so he can revamp the store and get his shit back together. He has things to do to keep his mind off of the stuff he doesn't want to think about and he's sure that tomorrow will be just another day for him. He can get back to his routine, finally. 

He couldn't be more wrong. 

* * *

if you need to know, my Prompto in most AUs has [long hair](https://twitter.com/Thwippersnappl1/status/1253902091568832512) because wow what a sweet, perfect boy ty again to Thwippersnapple for making such amazing art !!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You cannot change my mind that the Glaives are absolute surfer-bros in this AU. You absolutely cannot. Also, these aren't beta-read it's straight up just brain-to-page which probably makes this Not Fun to read, but like... whatever ya feel? Gotta get this AU out of my head uwu also if you don't know me, i stan long-hair prompto with that cute cute half-bun thing, hyperlink to some sick art by Thwippersnapple is at the end of the chapter btw, love their art!!)


	3. Getting to Know Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Ignis get to know each other a little bit.

Prompto doesn't go for a run today because he's somehow slept through his alarms and the sound of his phone buzzing incessantly on the nightstand when Cindy calls hims around eight. She texts him about a dozen times, asking if he's coming in, if he's okay, if she needs to be worried. He rubs his eyes, grossed out by how crusty they feel first thing in the morning. His mouth feels disgusting as well, like he'd drank glue the night before. He doesn't remember falling asleep or dreaming, and he doesn't think that's a bad thing, really. He probably needed the rest. 

He skips the coffee all together, knowing he needs to get out the door and to the shop as quickly as he can - he's got a lot of work to do today and even though the days are longer in the summer, they're never quite long enough for him. He'll probably regret not getting coffee later in the day when his head is pounding from the withdrawal of caffeine, but he can deal with that when he gets there. It's his own fault for getting to used to drinking the stuff every day, anyways. 

As he pulls out of the driveway he slides an unmarked cassette into the player. There's no good radio stations this far out, so he knows it's useless to bother and goes for what he hopes is one of his dad's old jazz mixtapes, and even when it isn't, he finds himself humming along, remembering the classical piece from somewhere in his childhood. His mom had always loved the stuff, played it nonstop in the shop while his dad played his own music at the diner. It makes him sad, but only in a nostalgic way, which he supposes is better than heartbreak. Then again, doesn't everyone miss their childhood sometimes? Even though he hated school, sometimes he still thinks about running through halls with his friends, late for class and trying not to get detention. He remembers when Libertus accidentally got ketchup all over himself with a poorly-placed packet and a lunch tray. Yeah, he missed it when things were easier, for sure. 

The drive to the shop is over all too quickly and he has to pull himself out of his reverie to park on the side of the street and hop out, bringing a few tapes with him as he heads inside the store. He knows there's an old portable radio in the back somewhere that his mom used to listen to music while she worked, and even if it didn't work, that didn't mean Prompto couldn't get it to eventually. 

When he does find it, it's crammed on a high shelf in the storage closet, covered in dust and cobwebs. He's happy to see there's no batteries in it to corrode the inside, though he does find the fast-forward button is missing, he's not too worried about it. There's batteries in the counter up front, he's pretty sure. 

As he gets everything set up for another day of work, tarp on the sidewalk, ladder propped against the other exterior brick wall, paint mixed and poured into a pan, his phone vibrates in his pocket. It's just once, so he knows it's a text and then he remembers he never texted Cindy back. Shit. She's probably gonna rip him a new one for scaring her. 

_If you don't text me back in ten minutes i'm gonna come to your house and wring your skinny little neck prompto i swear youre scaring me :(_

He sighs and hastily taps out a response, not eager to deal with the fallout of her stress. 

_I'm fine, I promise, just overslept and got behind on the work i needed to get done today1! sorry for worrying you T-T please dont kill me im sorrryyyyyyy <3 <3_

The reply is almost immediate and very scary. 

_You better come see me today._

He responds in the affirmative and ignores his phone for the rest of the morning, throwing his full attention at the project at hand and trying not to think of the look Cindy is gonna give him for worrying her. She's a sweet girl but she also, much like Crowe, scares the living shit out of him when she's angry. It must be Prompto, but girls are pretty scary in general once he thinks about it.

He takes a break halfway through the wall to step inside and cool off, mopping the sweat off his forehead with a hand towel and sitting behind the counter. It's getting hotter and hotter every day it feels like and he should drink more water, probably, if he's being honest, but for now he just wants to stop sweating. When his phone buzzes in his pocket, long vibrations, he pulls it out and answers without looking. 

"Argentum Arrangements of Angelgard." He knows he sounds tired, but that's because he is. "Prompto speaking, how may I help you?" 

"My my, do you always answer the phone in such a way?" The voice coming through the speaker is tinnier than it is in person, but Prompto has come to recognize it easily. 

"Ignis!" 

"The one and only, I'm afraid." 

Prompto laughs. "I think one of you is enough, trust me. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?" He rakes a hand through his hair - ew, damp - and mops at his face again. "Business?" 

"I'm afraid it's more personal, if that's okay?" 

Prompto nods, "Yeah, man, what's up?" 

There's a pause on the other end as Ignis clears his throat. "I was wondering if you'd perhaps like to grab lunch? The others have gone to the beach today and I'm afraid it's not really my 'scene', as it were. Sand and I don't particularly mix." 

Prompto chews on his lip as he pulls his phone back to check the time. He's only been working for three hours and he's halfway done. He could take a break and be a little irresponsible for once, or he could rain check lunch with a pretty guy that keeps giving him attention. The choice seems obvious. "Yeah! What time?" 

"Well, under the circumstances that you're not currently preoccupied... I can meet you at the diner in ten minutes?" 

"And here I thought you hate food that's not your own cooking!" Prompto laughs. "I'm kinda sweaty, but I can be there if you don't mind that I've been working all day." 

"Not at all. So... I'll see you soon?" 

"Yeah, it's a date!" 

Prompto hangs up before he has the chance to say anything else stupid. He's totally going to blow this with Ignis, he can tell already, just by being the weird goof he is. He just hopes to whatever god is listening that this lasts just a little bit longer. 

The drive to the diner is short and has Prompto bouncing his leg in anticipation. He realizes as soon as he pulls in just how hungry he actually is, thinking a bit too much about it. He ate dinner last night, he should be fine until tonight. Prompto knows he should eat more often, that he's too skinny for someone of his age and level of activity, but, well, when everything stresses you out, your stomach learns to live without food. He hates it, really, that he can't keep weight on and looks at food with a feeling of disgust, but he can't help it. 

Maybe he'll get fries for once, or something light, like a salad. Cindy will be surprised, that's for sure. 

He realizes as soon as he walks in the door that she's livid with him, hands on her hips and eyes narrowed on him. 

"Propmto Argentum." 

"Oh fuck," He says, walking towards her anyway. "Hey Cindy?" 

"You're in deep, deep shit, mister. You can't pick up a damn phone, but you can make plans with your new friend here?" She points to Ignis, who looks just as afraid as Prompto feels, sitting at the counter waiting for him. "You got some explainin' to do. Sit." 

Prompto slides into a seat quickly, next to Ignis. "I-I told you! I overslept!" 

"You don't just 'oversleep', so you better tell me what had you so 'tired' you couldn't answer my texts!" She looks between them. "Did you two _stay out late_ last night or somethin'?" 

It clicks for both of them a split second later and both hurry to make excuses. 

"It's not like that!" Prompto insists. 

"We did nothing like what you're implying, ma'am-" 

"I swear, we just had dinner at his house!" 

"I'm much more of a gentleman than that, I can assure you-" 

"You got it all wrong!" 

Cindy lets them trip over each other for another minute before waving her hand to quiet them down. "Now, I know you're all grown up Prompto, but you know you still got people out here who worry 'bout ya, right?" He nods quickly. "Next time just call me, please? You don't gotta act like you're alone." She turns her attention to Ignis, who stiffens next to him. He hardly knows this woman, aside from understanding that she and Prompto must be incredibly close and that she seems to be fiercely protective of the younger man. "You- I don't know nothin' 'bout you, but believe me when I say that if you do anythin' to hurt Prom, you'll be answerin' to me - and I ain't the one you should be scared of. Lotsa folks 'round here care 'bout Prompto more than you understand and we'll be damned if some tourist like you does anythin' to hurt him. Understand?" 

Ignis nods, taking the shovel talk more seriously than he probably should, but accepting his fate nonetheless. 

"Good!" She steps back and smiles wide. Ignis wonders if maybe she and Prompto are related with the way they seem to be able to bounce back from negative emotions to sunshiney joy in an instant. If not, there must be something in the water here. "Now then, you boys gettin' anything to drink?" 

"W-water." Prompto manages, throat and mouth suddenly very dry with fear, if he had to guess. "Just water, please." 

"Ah, the same, please, ma'am." Ignis nods. 

As she steps away to get their glasses, Prompto throws Ignis an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about her." 

"No need, I'm no stranger to shovel talk, I assure you. Though it usually happens _after_ you establish a romantic relationship, I suppose there's never any bad time for it." He pauses. "Though, I must admit - your friends all refer to myself and my friends as 'tourists' and while it's not wrong, I'm curious. Why is it that you call us that, exactly?" 

Prompto shrugs. "Just... sorta the lingo around here, y'know? Tourists come in during vacation months and trash the beaches and cause problems. They start fires where they aren't supposed to, they get drunk and streak through town, they leave garbage on the beaches - y'know. Stuff like that. They treat the people who live here like zoo animals, like we're some other species entirely because we don't live in a big city and they think they can get away with it. There's a stigma about you guys, for sure, but... I think I can say that you guys are some of the good ones that come here, but there's just too many bad ones." 

"They take advantage of your community and hospitality is what you're saying." Prompto nods and accepts the water from Cindy when she returns. "I see. I'm very sorry that that's something you all must deal with. I'm sure it's rather exhausting to have to pick up a stranger's mess." 

"It's not that... We all look out for each other around here, too, y'know? I mean, you saw how willing I am to help a stranger, but you're right - a lot of people would take advantage of that. You didn't though." He casts a smile at Ignis, and it's like the whole restaurant lights up. "Like I said, you're one of the good ones." 

"Thank goodness for that." 

Prompto has to imagine the wink Ignis sends him over the top of a water glass. He absolutely has to. 

They chat for a few minutes while Cindy disappears in the back to brew more coffee, much to Prompto's delight, and the conversation is easier than Prompto had ever imagined talking to someone he had a crush on could ever go. Maybe he's finally getting his shit together, but the thought makes him want to laugh aloud. 

"So," Prompto asks, drawing out the 'o', "You keep saying your friends are driving you nuts - what exactly are they doing to bother you so much? You seem like such a collected and cool guy, I can't imagine people getting under your skin." 

Ignis shakes his head and sighs, clearly frustrated all over again. "It's just... they're rather childish sometimes, I must admit. Iris is still young enough that she should be the bane of my existence right now, but she's actually a breath of fresh air while we're stuck with the other two. Noctis's fiance, Lunafreya, is on vacation in Altissia for the summer and he's been in such a mood since they parted ways that it's almost pathetic. I don't fault him, though, being away from the people you care about is never easy. Gladio," Ignis makes a sour face. "Gladio on the other hand, has been nothing but a thorn in my side since he picked me up from your house the other night." 

"He doesn't seem to like me much."

Ignis pauses to look at him, clearly thinking hard about his next words. 

"It's more complicated than that." 

"Care to elaborate on that?" 

Ignis takes a deep breath. Then another. Takes a sip of water and looks the most uncertain Prompto's ever seen him - which, granted, two days isn't a long time to know someone, but Prompto likes to think he's pretty good at reading people. 

"We were... involved at a point in time, about eight years ago. Romantically, I mean. It was four months, but - well, as you can see we're no longer together in that sense." 

Oh. 

Prompto feels a weird pit in his stomach. "Oh." Is all he can manage before Cindy comes back with a cup of coffee, smiling at him. 

"You had coffee yet today?" 

He could marry her, honestly. 

"You're an absolute goddess, Cindy, you know that? Like, what on Eos would I do without you?" 

The coffee is perfect. Just like every day. 

"C'mon now, you're gonna make a girl blush!" She turns to Ignis. "You a coffee drinker?" 

"Dude, Iggy, you gotta drink this, I swear. It's the best coffee I've ever had, hands down." 

Prompto is doing his best to not think about the over-compensation Gladio had subjected him to, the sideways glances, the scrutinizing looks when he thought Prompto wasn't looking. He may not be the most impressive person, but had he known that he was dealing with Ignis's _ex-boyfriend_ he probably wouldn't have been as obvious about flirting as he had been the night before. How is he supposed to compete with someone like Gladio? The guy is over six feet of pure tanned muscle, not to mention he's got the whole ferocious-rugged-brute vibe down to a science. The guy practically oozes testosterone. 

And then there's Prompto. 

He's short, scrawny, pale, covered in freckles and moles, and a two to Gladio's ten. He doesn't measure up in any sort of way at all. And besides, if the big guy is so protective of Ignis, there's no telling what someone with his superior-in-every-way personality would do to make sure Prompto knows where he belongs - which is at the bottom of the totem pole.

The problem is that Prompto knows he's over-thinking it, knows it's just his stupid brain making him think all these negative things about himself that aren't true, and that almost makes it worse to deal with. He's always thought that maybe he's too hard on himself, but then again, why would he be if he didn't deserve it? It's a vicious cycle and he's caught up in it as he watches Ignis sip the coffee, eyebrows shooting up and talking to Cindy, but their voices are muffled. He can hear his blood pounding in his ears, his heart rattling against his ribs. 

He's having an anxiety attack in the middle of a diner with a hot guy. Figures. 

"Excuse me for a second," He gets up clumsily and definitely doesn't sprint to the bathroom. It's more of a power-walk, really. He's grateful to whichever god is listening that lets it be empty so he can lock the door quickly and and brace himself on the sink. He's been dealing with this long enough to know how to calm himself down, but he usually doesn't have to hide in a public restroom to do it. He hopes he doesn't freak anyone out. 

He places one hand on his stomach and takes a deep breath, feeling the air in his abdomen. He holds it for a few seconds before breathing out of his mouth. He knows this is only a temporary fix and he'll have to rectify the source of the anxiety later when he's alone, but for now this will have to do. He places a hand on his ribs and repeats the process until he can feel the coldness of the porcelain beneath his fingers and the air conditioning blowing on the back of his clammy neck. He's breathing hard still, and his heart is still pounding, but he doesn't feel like he's about to die or pass out, so he knows the worst of it's passed now. 

Then he's aware of his phone vibrating in his pocket. 

He doesn't even think twice before answering it.

"Argentum Arrangements of Angelgard, this is Prompto, how can I help you?" 

Cindy's voice comes quietly through the receiver. "You okay in there? It's been a few minutes, I just wanted to check up on ya." 

"Y-yeah, I'm good. Just got really warm all of a sudden," He lies to her because he doesn't want her to worry. "Needed to splash some water on my face, that's all. I'm probably just a little dehydrated, I was working outside today, but uh... yeah, I'm heading back out now, so. All good!" 

He hangs up quickly, shoving his phone in his pocket and taking one more deep breath. 

He just has to get through lunch and then he can go back to the shop and think things through on his own. 

Needless to say, as he approaches the counter where Ignis is still sitting and chatting with Cindy now, nodding along with whatever she's saying, his appetite is long gone. 

"Hey, sorry to keep you guys waiting," he apologizes, taking his seat again and sipping his cooled coffee. 

"All good, sweetheart," Cindy gives him an easy smile, "We were just talkin' bout the diner, that's all." 

"Oh?" Prompto nods. "Cool." 

He mostly listens to Cindy and Ignis talk in between her checking on the few other tables in the place. One is Mars, nursing a hangover like he usually does, picking at a stack of pancakes and drinking a full pitcher of coffee that Cindy leaves at his corner booth. The other is an older couple making quiet conversation under the music coming out of the vintage jukebox by the front door. It's quiet for a while until the door to the kitchen slams open and Cid makes his way over. 

"Cid!" Prompto hasn't seen the old man in a while, honestly, and he feels kind of bad watching him slowly moving. Cid's getting old these days, slowing down, and it makes his heart hurt a little bit. "Hey!" 

"Hey yourself." Cid grunts. "You're drivin' the truck." 

It isn't a question, but Prompto nod. "Y-yeah." 

"You had her looked at yet?" 

"Well... no." 

The glare he gets is sharp enough to cut Prompto in half, he knows it. 

"You're gonna leave her here so I can make sure you ain't runnin' her into the ground, young man." 

It's not a question, but Prompto nods again. "Yes sir." He pulls the keys out of his pocket and hands them over to Cid, admitting, "It's... making a weird noise shifting into second gear." 

"Probably needs a fluid flush and lubrication. Been sittin' a while, right? I'm surprised the gas ain't gone bad yet." 

"Y-yeah... I just started driving it cause, well, I've been doing work on the shop and I needed a way to lug stuff around, y'know?" 

"Oh, so you're finally getting your ass in gear and head outta your ass, huh?" 

Ignis stills beside him. Prompto doesn't blame him, Cid is a terrifying man with next to no filter. He'd probably call a king out on his bullshit if he had the chance, much to Prompto's admitted horror. 

"Yeah. I am. Can't mope around forever, y'know?" 

Cid's expression softens, a look Prompto isn't used to. "You know if you need any help, you can ask." 

Prompto smiles. "I know. Thanks, Cid." 

Cid nods and takes the keys and a glass of water back into the kitchen, Cindy following behind closely, talking about something he doesn't quite catch. 

Ignis clears his throat and turns to Prompto, eyebrow raised in question. Prompto knows what he's asking - 'who is that?'

"Cid is Cindy's grandpa," he explains, rubbing his thumb over the condensation on his glass of water. "He took over the business after the last diner burned down, and he's been taking care of Cindy ever since. Or she's been taking care of him - they're close enough that it doesn't really matter, y'know? Cid's always been there for us, since we were kids. He used to babysit us when our parents were at work when we were little. He's technically a mechanic by trade, and a damn good one. Cindy was gonna follow in his footsteps for the longest time, but... well, the diner needed them more. The town wouldn't be the same without those two. If Iris thinks I do a lot? She'd freak about them." He laughs quietly and smiles at Ignis. "They're the closest thing I've got to family, really, and Cid doesn't let me forget it." 

Ignis reaches out and covers Prompto with his own, a gentle and friendly touch, but it sends heat coursing through Prompto's skin anyways. "I'm sorry if I said something earlier to make you upset." He changes the subject so easily. "You looked upset when you excused yourself and I wanted to apologize if it was my fault. I felt that it was important for you to understand Gladio and I's relationship, or lack thereof, if I am to continue... spending time with you." Ignis bites his lip and keeps his gaze steady on Prompto as he speaks. 

For the second time that day, all Prompto says is, "Oh." 

Ignis is saying that - _oh_.

"I hope I'm not, ah, misreading this and please forgive me if I am." He pulls his hand away and wraps it around his cup of coffee, dropping his gaze finally. "If I've overstepped any boundaries, please allow me to apologize again." 

Prompto's brain is short-circuiting and it takes him a second and a lot of staring at Ignis to get his mind firing on all cylinders again. 

"Dude - you - what? Me? You like, you _like_ me? Like _that_?" His voice sounds a little shrill to his own ears. "Are you sure?" 

Ignis breathes a sigh of relief and shakes his head. "You don't believe me?" 

"I mean, like, no offense dude, I'm not much. You also, like, barely know me." 

He's known Ignis for not even a full 48 hours and yet here they are, sitting at a diner enjoying coffee, talking about how they feel about each other. It's weird and cheesy and, if Prompto's being honest, a little too Hallmark for his tastes. 

"I'm not going to disagree, we do hardly know one another, but that's precisely why I want to get to know you. There's something about you that I can't quite put a finger on, but you make me want to know you." 

Prompto laughs, startled at Ignis's honesty. "You really want to know me? I mean... there's really not much to know, man." 

Ignis smiles. "Please don't mistake my advances as anything but pure, Prompto. I mean it when I say I want to know you. Whether you think there's much to know or not doesn't concern me. I just wish to know you, and you I, if that's something you might also be interested in." 

Prompto doesn't miss a beat. 

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I'd like that." 

And this time Prompto reaches out to cover one of Ignis's hands and squeeze and maybe, just maybe, Prompto think things could be looking up. 

* * *

Ignis offers to drive him back to the shop and finish up the bottom half of the wall, and while Prompto accepts the ride, he can't accept the free labor again. 

"Please, dude, you can't keep helping me with this stuff for free, at least let me refund you for the flowers." And that reminds him. "Oh yeah - who are those flowers for, anyways?"

Ignis laughs as he pulls up to the curb. "You." 

"Oh." 

Duh. 

"And I'll have you know that spending time with you gets the others off of my back and keeps them from breathing down my neck. I know it must seem like I don't enjoy being around them, and I promise that's not the case, but... this vacation was mostly meant for myself, as loathe as I am to admit it. I'm told I 'work too much' and 'never take time to myself', so he insisted we take time away from most of our responsibilities." 

"And what exactly are your responsibilities?" Prompto unlocks the door to the shop and lets Ignis inside so they can grab the paint and brushes, even when Prompto lightly swats at Ignis's hands for helping. "You're a cook, right?" And a damn good one. Prompto feels bad for hardly eating anything at dinner last night, but Gladio was glaring daggers in his direction the whole time and he didn't feel up to the task of eating in front of people. 

"Technically, yes. But Noctis is, well... He's the son of Regis Caelum." 

"The designer brand your uncle works for? That's Noctis's dad's business?" It explains how the two know each other, if they've known each other for as long as Ignis had made it seem. "So... what, your uncle works for his dad and you work for him?" 

"To an extent. I was entrust from a young age to mentor Noctis in the ways of professionalism, though I daresay my efforts have fallen on deaf ears for most of his life. We were friends before I was employed, and he only asked me to work for him because he knew I needed to get away from my uncle for a time. He did a wonderful job raising me, but... we don't exactly see eye-to-eye on my, ah, preferences." Prompto frowns. "After I felt emboldened enough to express my sexual preference to him, he made it very clear to me how much I depended on him financially. So, Noctis, being my friend, did what he needed to get me away. I'm forever grateful to him for that." 

"Oh... I'm so sorry, Iggy." Prompto doesn't know what it's like to have a parental figure reject you for something like that, his parents were always there when he wanted to learn or try new things. Being gay was just another thing about him that they supported without hesitation. He did know what it was like to have people take advantage of you for it, and his mind wanders back to Nyx for a split second. But that was different from Ignis's uncle's abuse of power over his nephew. "So you... you're Noctis's, like, what - mentor or something?" 

"Advisor might be a better term, as I assist him in choices for the company, since he does work for his father. But he has little to no interest in it, really, he'd rather spend his days fishing than picking swatches and looking at figures. I daresay I can't agree with him." 

"You like business-type stuff?" 

"I enjoy the stability and certainty of it. I'm not a fan of ambiguity, as it were, and I find that numbers and trends are far more predictable than people." Ignis explains, pouring paint into a tray and setting to work before Prompto can stop him. He's learning quickly that once Ignis makes up his mind, there's little convincing him to stop. It could be a problem in the future, but for now Prompto is secretly grateful for the help. 

"Hm. I guess I'm starting to understand." 

"Enough about me, though, I'm keen to know more about you." Prompto sets to work with a paintbrush in between the bricks, making sure to get every little divot. "Do you have any hobbies outside of flowers?" 

Prompto hesitates to answer. "I mean, I used to skate, but you knew that." Ignis makes a noise in agreement. "I, uh, kinda like to take pictures sometimes? I'm not, like, super good at it, but it's fun, y'know? Kinda just a thing I do sometimes. I mean, it's been a while since I did it, I'm not even really sure where most of my equipment is, but..." He takes a deep breath, realizing he's rambling. "Sorry for running on. I just, kinda, don't shut up sometimes when I'm anxious." 

"Are you anxious often?" 

"I mean... short answer? Yes. All the time, really, it's kinda a, uh, thing I guess?" What reason does he have to lie? "I mean... I know when you look at me you probably don't see anything but a happy-go-lucky goofball, but under all the quips and jokes? I'm kinda a mess. I hope you know what you're getting into here, man." He nudges Ignis playfully, trying to act as normal as he can about it. He doesn't like talking about it - he hates it in fact - but something tells him lying about it to Ignis isn't worth it. "Sorry if that was, uh, too deep or somethin'." 

"Nonsense, Prompto. I asked and you answered. I'm sure things like that aren't easy to communicate and I appreciate your willingness to do so. But please let me know if you ever feel like that around me and I'll do whatever I can to help you." Ignis nudges him back, smiling. "You may not know me very well, but I'm a bit of a mess myself. Everyone has their past and everyone has their future, and I just prefer to focus on the latter rather than the former. I know that's not easy for everyone, though." 

Prompto shakes his head. "Dude, how are you barely older than me and like, a million times more mature?" 

"I suppose it has a great deal to do with upbringing. I was raised in a rather sterile, professional setting. I assume you were raised in a very familial and loving one." Prompto nods immediately. "I find it... difficult to open up to people as well, though for different reasons, most likely. I was taught to keep my emotions hidden, and to never express negativity. It had a great impact on my mental state growing up and while I've only recently learned to deal with those sorts of things, it does trouble me sometimes. I worry that, perhaps, I'm being too much of something." 

Prompto sighs and nods. "You hit the nail on the head with that last part. But for me it sort of just stems from worrying about, like, everything. I worry about what I look like, what I say, what I do, how I act around people. I worry about what people think about me or if they're talking about me, or if people are pitying me or just... yeah. Everything." 

"Then I propose we make an agreement now to not worry about trivial things around one another." Ignis says it so bluntly that Prompto finds himself agreeing. 

"Y-yeah. I like the sound of that. You don't have to worry about how you're feeling and I don't have to worry about everything." 

He knows it won't stop him from doing just that. It won't stop him from worrying every time he sees Ignis's ex, or every time he looks in the mirror, or every time he checks his voice mail. It won't stop him from worrying that he's making a fool of himself, or that he's bothering Ignis or being weird or annoying. But gods if it isn't nice to pretend that maybe things could be okay. The smile Ignis gives him fuels that hope a little farther in his heart, not that he'll ever admit that. 

"So, like... you and Gladio, huh?" 

Ignis nods. "What would you like to know about it? I find that transparency about past relationships is far healthier than hiding such things."

"Just... I dunno. He and I are completely different. Why did you like him?" 

Ignis pauses where he's painting to think. "Proximity, I suppose. We grew up together, much like Noctis and I, though only because Gladio's father also works for Noctis's, and he and I would run into one another during working hours as we got older. I had always found his headstrong, stubborn nature charming. I was also... incredibly naive. I knew he had a reputation for flings, that he would never pursue someone after he'd gained their affections, at least not for long. I thought perhaps I could be the one to break that cycle. After I turned eighteen, we became an exclusive item and, well... Gladio seemed to have eyes - and hands, for that matter - for everyone else the moment I caved to his advances. It crushed me, of course, I was young and I thought I was in love, though, deep down I knew better. I was just a hopeful with no family and hardly any friends. All I had was work, and I thought perhaps I could have him as well." Ignis smiles sadly at the wall, like it knows what he's talking about. "We broke up after four months. He had, ah, other partners he was seeing behind my back." 

Prompto sucks in a breath. 

"Oh... That - that fucking sucks. I'm so sorry, Iggy." 

"I'm not saying that I was without fault. I had just lost the only family I had, was struggling to come to grips with my identity while also attempting to be proud of who I was. I wasn't emotionally prepared for a committed relationship, and I took out my insecurities on him. It just so happened that I was right to think he wasn't faithful to me, though I'm sure if that wasn't the case we still would have gone our separate ways. The whole situation was toxic and, well, awful, really." 

Prompto has to give him credit for admitting his not-so-great behavior. Most guys would just gaslight their ex but Prompto is starting to realize that Ignis isn't like most guys. He's much more aware of his feelings and how his actions impact others. It's... refreshing. 

"Well, I mean... props to you for being up front about that. I am sorry that you had a shitty relationship still, though. It's not easy." 

Ignis gives him another sad smile before getting back to work. "Have you ever been romantically involved with anyone?" 

"Not... really. I, uh... I used to be with the guy from yesterday, Nyx?" Ignis takes a moment to place him before nodding. "I, uh... Man." Prompto laughs, shaking his head. It seems like a lifetime ago. "I was sixteen, he was eighteen. Crowe and Libertus had just gotten together and man, I swear, I used to think Nyx had hung the moon in the fuckin' sky. He was everything I wanted to be and he let me hang out around them? Consider me done in. But once Crowe and Libertus got together he didn't know what to do. He felt alone and, well. Pelna sure as shit wasn't gonna give him head in the back seat of a car whenever he texted so... that sorta fell on me. I was just appreciative of the attention, I didn't realize I was being used." He clears his throat, suddenly feeling insecure about talking about it, but then remembering that he and Ignis agreed not to worry about shit around each other. So, he presses on. "I realized eventually, though, a few months in, and I cut that shit off real quick. It was right about then I stopped being as close to them, though I didn't stop hanging out with them. I just kinda... woke up. I realized that idolizing people was a real good way to get taken advantage of - not that I really blame Nyx for anything that happened, honestly. We were stupid teenagers, kinda like you and Gladio, and we just... didn't need each other. I needed someone that wanted me back and he wanted... well, sex. I thought the two were the same, but I learned the hard way." 

A hand finds his free one, the one that's twisting the hem of his shirt around his fingers, and tugs it gently.

"I suppose we both have our problems, eh? I don't think any less of you for that, you know, just as I'm sure you don't think any less of me for my past with Gladio." 

"W-well, yeah, of course I know..." 

Ignis nods and lets go of Prompto's hand all too soon. "I'm sure you do, but it is nice to hear, isn't it?" 

"Yeah." 

Prompto thinks, for the millionth time since meeting Ignis, that he is absolutely fucked. 

* * *

Ignis drives Prompto home once they've finished up the outside of the shop finally. Prompto thinks it makes the street look a little bit more happy. Ignis thinks it puts the rest of the businesses on the street to shame, it's such a lovely green. 

"So, like, you and Gladio are cool now? I don't mean to keep beating a dead horse, I'm just curious, is all." And also because Prompto is a teeny, tiny bit terrified of the big guy. He's half the guy's size and a tenth of his mass, he's so fucked if Gladio decides to give Prompto a hard time for being involved with his ex - if they even get to that point. Ignis could always decide that Prompto's got too much baggage to be worth it. 

No worrying, he reminds himself. 

"After a while, yes, we reconciled our friendship. He's actually... well, he's Noctis's bodyguard, as silly as that may seem to you. But unfortunately Noctis is an important person worth a lot of money and there are people out there who would wish him harm. Back to my point, though, he and I worked closely with Noctis despite our failed relationship and we both felt that we had more important matters than petty feelings. He attempted to gain my affections back for a short time, though I've never once accepted his advances again. I'm not sure whether he still has any residual feelings, though I should hope not." Ignis shakes his head. "We spoke, though, and decided that friendship was something we could work towards. It's been going rather well, honestly. Until we came here, at least." 

"Is that... my fault?" Prompto worries the hem of his shirt in his hands again, refusing to look at Ignis. 

"Not at all." Ignis says. "It's because of me. And the fact that, for the first time since he and I were together, I've been open about my interest in someone. It just so happens that you are the object of my affections and he's always been a rather jealous person. I do feel bad for you, though, I know he was a bit of an ass at dinner last night. Noctis reprimanded him for it, I believe, or perhaps it was Iris? Either way, I think he's beginning to understand that eight years is quite a lot of time and that I don't harbor any romantic feelings for him any more." 

Prompto feels his cheeks heat. Object of his affections, what a romantic way to say he's got a crush. "R-right." A hand falls over his again and when Prompto looks over, Ignis is looking at the road, but smiling. 

"I promise you, you needn't be worried about him. He may be a hotheaded jackass, but he wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone unless he had to. He's not a physically violent person unless it's for his job, also, despite what you may think of him based on his appearance." He glances at Prompto for a second. "Do you always fidget with things when you're over-thinking?" 

Caught red-handed, Prompto thinks about denying it, but there's no use. Ignis can read him like an open book. 

He kind of hates that. 

"I mean... it's just a nervous habit." He admits as they pull up to his driveway. The sun is beginning to set over the top of his house, casting oranges and pinks across the sky. It's breathtaking. He wishes he had his camera - maybe he'll dig it out tonight. It could be fun to take photos tomorrow during his break from the shop. "S-sorry..." 

"No need to apologize. I just hope I don't make you nervous, that's all." 

"I mean, you kinda make me super fuckin' nervous, dude, I'm not gonna front." He blurts, laughing and knowing he probably sounds like a mess. "You're, like, super perfect, you know that? You talk super nice, you dress super nice, you look even better than you talk, which is sayin' somethin', like - I don't know why you like me so much, but it's kinda fuckin' crazy, man." 

The hand on his leaves for a moment, and Prompto has a split second of panic that he's finally fucked this up, but then it's back and he realizes Ignis was just putting the car in park. 

"I thought we agreed no worrying?" He's smiling easily. 

"I mean, yeah, but like - you're like a walking wet dream - sorry for being crass, but it's kinda true - and I'm just me!" 

Ignis is quiet for a moment. "I'd like to walk you to your door, if that's alright with you? I'm afraid I'm a bit of a gentleman." 

Prompto blows out a frustrated breath. Now he's fucked it up for sure. 

"Yeah," He drops Ignis's hand and climbs out of the car quickly. "Sounds good." 

The walk up to his house and up the steps feels like an eternity until they reach his front door. Maybe, as he's looking around, he'll work on re-staining it tomorrow. The shop doesn't need more than to get the sign touched up. He can worry about trivial shit later. 

"I had a lovely day," Ignis says, hand finding Prompto's again easily. He tries not to think of how natural it feels. "And I'm grateful you let me get to know you a little bit more today."

Prompto becomes aware of Ignis's proximity a split second after he speaks. They're almost flush together, facing each other and in the shade of the porch, Prompto can see the sharp shadow of Ignis's nose on his cheek. He wishes, even more now, that he had his camera. 

"Yeah." He breathes. "I, uh, I'm glad we hung out. Sorry if I, like, fucked it up at all. I know I'm kinda boring and -" 

"I would like to kiss you, if that's alright with you?" Ignis disturbs his rambling. 

Prompto nods immediately and tries not to fuck it up when Ignis leans in and barely brushes their lips together. If he hadn't been holding his breath, Prompto is sure he would have missed it. His brain still feels like it's on fire when Ignis pulls away, smiling shyly now. 

"I apologize if that was abrupt. I've just... wanted to do that for a couple days, honestly." 

Prompto definitely does not wait inside while Ignis gets back in his car, does not call Cindy yelling, and does not touch his lips for the rest of the night. 

Nope, not once. 

Well... maybe once. Or twice. 

Like he said, he's fucked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we stan owning up to past shitty behavior, go Iggy (I don't mean to paint Nyx and Gladio as the 'bad guys' because they're far from it, i promise, all grown up and shit, but that doesn't mean Prompto/Ignis has to be fully over their problems) also we're finally getting to the Promnis woot woot


	4. Green Curry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto has a Bad Day. 
> 
> We spend some time with Gladio and Ignis. 
> 
> There is curry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My art program crashed my laptop and I lost this chapter and then I took a couple days to like, scream into the void because it was almost done! And then, right before I posted it! I almost lost it again! But here we are, re-written at an ungodly hour and here for your consumption or something lol
> 
> I made a playlist that's linked in the chapter and i refuse to believe that Prompto doesn't listen to cringe late 2000s-early 2010s pop/alt rock, and it's an absolute vibe lol

"You hardly know the guy, you know that, right?" 

Ignis does his best to stifle a cough, watching Gladio take a pull of a cigarette on the back porch of Noct's beach house. It has to be past midnight at this point, and Iris and Noct have long since retired. The sun wears the both of them out pretty quickly lately, not that Ignis can blame them, he's exhausted himself. The heat here is smothering and the humidity is like a blanket on their skin - needless to say, they aren't really used to the weather and Ignis is more than sure that none of them are drinking enough water. He makes a mental note to check and make sure that they're all staying properly hydrated, especially Iris and Gladio, who have been venturing farther and farther down the beach as the days have progressed. 

Ignis himself has made it a habit to go to the market every chance he gets to see what ingredients and foods Angelgard has to offer that Insomnia doesn't. The answer, he knows, is not much, but there's something about farm-to-table that's always made him feel like a more accomplished chef, and that, he knows, is not something he can get as readily back home. 

Home. 

Ignis thinks about Insomnia less and less as the days pass, finding himself more and more invested in this community that he's been lucky enough to experience and be accepted into. When he works out with Gladio in the mornings, he sees Prompto's old high school friends up before the sun, waxing boards and applying sunscreen and laughing. He envies them - they don't seem to have much to worry about most days besides the skin on their feel constantly peeling, or swallowing too much salt water. He knows, of course, they run a skewer stand (and he's loathe to admit he has yet to nail the seasonings they had used) and they're adults and probably have their own worries, but there's so little tension or pretense in their mannerisms and the way they joke with one another that he wonders what life might be like if he wasn't who he was. 

"I'm very well aware that I'm not well acquainted with Prompto, yes. You seem to remind me at every chance you get." Ignis doesn't mean to snark at his old friend, but it's late and he's tired and not even really listening to their own conversation - instead, he's listening to the ocean. He always thought that it would get old, listening to water crash against sand, to sea birds chittering at all times of the day, but he's growing more and more fond of it. "The only difference between you and I, however, is that I'm making an attempt to change that." 

Gladio takes another drag and holds it for a moment, leaning over the edge of the railing, staring off into the darkness just past the light that bleeds onto the sand from the porch light. Ignis never realized just how dark the ocean got at night and it chills him a bit to think about it. 

"You got a thing for blondie?" 

It's a blunt enough question, and one that they've been dancing around since Gladio met Prompto a few days ago, though the question had been hovering for too long to go unspoken now. It's something he's always hated about the two of them - even when they don't say anything, each can tell exactly what the other is thinking. Ignis attributes it to proximity and exposure to one another's habits in conversation and patterns in thinking. 

Ignis weighs his options carefully before answering. "I... I believe I am romantically interested in him, if that's what you meant. I cannot say for certain how serious I feel about the situation, but I do harbor a rather soft spot for him." He tries his hardest not to wrinkle his nose up at the smell of the cigarette. It had always been a nasty habit Gladio picked up in high school as a means to rebel against his family. He never admitted it, but Ignis knew. 

"So you got a crush." Gladio laughs, but it's hollow to Ignis's ears. "On a fuckin' small-town florist. It's like a shitty fuckin' book for housewives." 

Ignis bites his tongue, but only just so. 

"I was under the impression that you consumed such literature, Gladio." 

"S'not the point," He takes another drag and Ignis remains stoic, "the point is that you know it ain't gonna last." 

Ignis says nothing for a moment, clearly a moment too long, because as Gladio turns to him, stubbing out the cigarette, Ignis is rising out of the plastic chair he'd been attempting to relax it. 

"I have missed our little chats, _Gladiolus_." The full name feels like venom on his tongue, though he gives no indication. "Do enlighten me with you wordly knowledge in the realm of romance and relationships, please, I'm just _dying_ to know what an expert such as yourself knows about this situation." 

Gladio hates the sight of Ignis, head held high, hands on his hips, daring him to say something- anything. He doesn't. He knows better and always has; when Ignis is right, he's right. And right now? He hit the nail on the head in one swing. 

Gladio sighs. "You know... you know that ain't what I meant. I just don't want to see you get hurt." 

And it's true. As much as he may have hurt Ignis - as much as they may have hurt one another in the past - he still has nothing but unconditional love for the man. He probably always will, at least a little bit, but he fucked up and he has to live with his mistakes every single day. He has to watch Ignis move on and out-grow him and become the absolutely amazing man he is today (and always has been). 

"We're both grown now, Gladio. I appreciate the concern, but I doubt that rejection is the worst pain I've felt at this point in my life. I won't apologize for feeling something for Prompto, as I don't believe that it's something worth apologizing for and I'm not sure it would change anything between us." 

"I just wish I still made you feel like that." Gladio admits in a rare moment of vulnerability. There's never been any reason for him to lie to Iggy in the past and tonight is nothing new - different place but the same shit. 

As Ignis turns silently towards the back door, he hesitates and, without looking back at his friend, he says, "I don't think you ever will." 

* * *

Prompto is having a fucking horrible, awful, shitty, terrible day as soon as he wakes up. 

He sleeps through his alarm by thirty minutes, accidentally brews his coffee twice as strong as usual and has to choke down what he can only compare to motor oil, totally wipes out on a sidewalk during his run (he's gonna be picking gravel out of his palm all day, he knows it), and one of his shoelaces breaks on his way back. If that wasn't enough, it starts raining as he's walking to the store. Since he doesn't have the truck, he has to sprint - in flip flops, which is a whole other fucking nightmare to him - the rest of the way to the shop and is soaked by the time he arrives, freshly washed hair be damned. 

He drips all over the nice, clean entryway and slams his hip into the counter, cursing loudly to the rafters and the flowers in the back room. His toes are cold, his clothes are heavy, and his hip is absolutely screaming now as he goes into the back room to get started on his chore for today. 

The back room. 

There are dry flower petals and leaves and clippings littering the floor (yes, Prompto is a bit of a slob at times) and a thick coating of dust on the shelves he keeps the containers of flowers on. Not to mention, the shelf in the back room is barely holding into the wall and he'll need to drill the nails back into the wall where they're coming loose from years of holding decorative vases and random junk. He never thought much about it before, but his parents really were hoarders to some extent. Why are there three hoses coiled up out back? Why are there four flower catalogs under the front counter? He needs to do some serious purging eventually, but right now he's focusing on cleaning and repairing - trash can wait. 

Before he sets to all of that, though, he checks his phone for any voice mails for orders, checks the company email on his phone, and checks if any faxes came in. He has to fulfill orders first things first, give quotes, all the usual business-y things he's been neglecting for a couple days. 

All that aside, he spends most of the day in the shop, listening to a [playlist on repeat ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QEzi0ah5V7umqIDIhJkZc?si=ucyIs8heTFiuPhB9h7fZTQ)and ignoring the sound of rain and thunder outside the shop as much as he can. It's an easy day, at least compared to the hours he'd spent outside the past few days painting and cleaning the exterior and replacing lightbulbs and fixtures and literally polishing the brass door handle for the store so it's just as shiny as it used to be. The sign still hasn't been repainted, but he's saving it for last because he knows it's gonna need the most work. It's all intricate vines and sylleblossoms and sunflowers and roses. More than anything, he's always thought it looked pretty tacky, but it's a flower shop, so he figures tacky is just part of the charm, same as the green everything. 

His phone goes off around four, a number he doesn't recognize and he pauses his work to answer, holding the cellular to his ear. 

"Argentum Arrangements of Angelgard, this is Prompto, how can I help you?"

A gruff voice replies, and it's disorted by wind. "Yeah, you guys open right now?" 

"Uh, I mean, technically no, but - are you outside?" Prompto rushes to the front to see a figure hunched under the awning of the store front, bundled in a hoodie and jeans and looking absolutely soaked. "Shit, hold on, one second!" He tosses his phone on the counter and rushes to unlock the door, allowing the tall man entry. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't realize I locked the door, here, lemme get you a towel, I should have some in the back - ack!" 

Prompto's flip flops aren't meant for the current weather and he slips, landing flat on his ass, wincing at the harsh treatment of his tailbone and yelping at the sharp pain. 

It's just another thing on his list of shitty things for the day and, rather than try to get up, he gives up, flopping onto his back, throwing his arms over his face. "Fuck." He hisses, trying to calm down. It's just a bad day, he's telling himself, it'll pass and tomorrow will be better. Don't have a meltdown about it, you just need to mop up the water. 

"You okay, man?" The other man is watching him, he's sure. He doesn't care for once. "You took a pretty hard fall." 

"Yeah, I'm super duper good, dude, I'm just having probably the worst day in the history of bad days, y'know?" 

"That's rough, bud, but like, is your ass okay?"

It starts a laugh from Prompto who removes his arms from his face to look up at the guy. 

He definitely feels the blood leave his face. 

"Oh, shit, hi, it's you!" Prompto quickly tries to get to his feet as quickly as possible without slipping again. Gladio settles a steadying hand on Prompto's elbow and it's a softer touch than he'd been expecting from the behemoth. "Uh, what brings you in here? And, like, yes, my ass is one hundred percent okay, I think? But yeah, this is a business, so I need to, like, run it, so - um - yeah. Welcome to Argentum Arrangements!" He's trying to balance absolute dread and his customer service voice and he's sure he sounds like a fucking mad man. "What can I help you with?" 

Gladio seems a bit embarrassed as he talks. 

"I, uh, need some flowers. Obviously. Um. I kinda fucked up and I need to say sorry to someone." He admits. "I just - I said some stupid shit and I need to let them know that I'm sorry and that I care about our relationship and them in general. So... Any way you could help me with that?" 

Okay. 

Well. 

It's not what he'd been expecting, but Prompto has had weirder requests in his time, so he runs through a mental checklist before dragging one of the old catalogs out from under the counter and flipping through it, quickly scratching on a yellow note pad - prices, amounts, ribbon, vases - and ducks into the back room for a moment. He's always been a silent worker, much to his own relief. If customers had to deal with his anxious word vomit he'd probably be out of business by now. 

"Okay," He says, coming back up front with a few flowers and ribbons. "So, for apology, you're gonna want some blue hyacinths for sure. They mean, like, 'making peace' and stuff." He holds out the flower to Gladio, who accepts it gently. "Next up, pink roses. They're good for expressing gratitude and appreciation!" Gladio accepts this one as well. "Lastly, white orchids. They express sincerity, so if you really feel bad you can get that message across with theses to emphasize the meaning of the hyacinths and roses." 

Gladio hates how nice they look together and hates the pearly white ribbon he's being drawn to to tie the larger bouquet together. He hates how good Prompto is at this, and how genuine he seems to be about helping Gladio even though he doesn't know. He's too nice and Gladio hates that he's exactly what he'd want for Ignis if he had any choice. 

"Thanks." He grunts, looking down at it all. "When can you have them to the place I'm stayin' at?" 

Prompto makes a face, thinking, and checks his phone quickly, frowning. 

"Mm, I missed the deadline to order and get them tomorrow, so... day after tomorrow? If that's okay? I would make it for you now, but the flowers are a few days old and, uh...well, I only have like one or two more of each of them." He admits, looking a bit bashful. "I'll throw in a vase for free for the delay, though! So you don't have to worry about finding a place for em!" 

Gladio hates him more. 

"Uh, yeah, sure, that works. Um, how much do I owe you?" 

He watches Prompto tap numbers into a calculator and drum his fingers idly on the wooden counter top as he does so, before announcing, "Fifty gil." 

Gladio chokes on air. 

"That- that's it?" He's paid more for flower from a grocery store back home. "You sure about that?" 

Prompto grins at him. "You're Ignis's friend, right? He's been helping me out around here and not letting me pay him, so I figure this is a good way to pay it forward, y'know? If he won't let me pay him, then I can cut his friend a deal on some flowers." 

He hates the blonde man. 

Or, he wants to. 

But he can't. 

"Wow... thanks. I just - I'm sorry. For being an asshole the other day." The words fall from his mouth and the both of them stare at each other in stunned silence for a moment before Prompto gives him another small smile. 

With a wave of his hand, Prompto is packing up the catalog and the ribbon and the order form and the calculator. "Don't sweat it. You don't know me and I'm not sure I'd behave any different in your position." Prompto doesn't mention that he knows why Gladio was such a dick. He doesn't mention the fact that he knows about his past relationship with Ignis and he doesn't mention that he's scared the big guy is gonna beat the shit out of him right here and now. Nope. This is customer service Prompto, an unstoppable force. "All behind us now, yeah?"

Gladio stares at the hand offered to him for a split second before accepting it. Prompto's hands are softer than he'd expected. "Yeah." 

* * *

"Prompto?" Ignis answers the phone almost immediately. They don't talk on the phone, not really. Prompto prefers texting and Ignis prefers face-to-face conversation. "This is a pleasant surprise." 

He can almost hear the smile in Ignis's voice. "Hey Iggy. Um, so Gladio just came into the shop." He jumps into it before Ignis can say anything, explaining what had happened and how he was buying flowers. "He didn't say who they were for, and didn't want to leave a note with them, but I just thought you might want to know. It was weird, but... he was fine, I guess." 

"That absolute -" Ignis takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry you had to deal with him, Prompto. I'm glad he behaved himself, though I've no idea why he was buying apology flowers, unless he's done something to upset Iris, which is likely." Prompto can imagine Ignis shaking his head. "How was the rest of your day, though?" 

Prompto is locking up the shop as he talks to Ignis. Gladio just left - miraculously once the rain had stopped and not a moment too soon - and Prompto decided he had had enough of life outside his house for the day. His hip hurts, his tailbone hurts, and he can feel the scabs from his fall that morning straining against his movement as he walks home. 

"Um... honestly? It fucking sucked." Prompto laughs uncomfortably. "It really sucked." 

"I'm sorry," and it sounds genuine, "would you like to talk about it?" 

Prompto doesn't want to, no, he doesn't want to bother Ignis, but they had agreed to no stressing about stupid shit to one another, so... 

"I just - I over slept and I fucked up my coffee and I fell on my run and I scraped the shit outta my knee and my hand still hurts and I broke my running shoes and I slammed my hip into the counter and I slipped in the store cause my shoes were wet and it started raining while I was walking to work because I still don't have my car and I just..." Prompto sniffles and wipes his eyes. "It's so stupid, none of this is important, but it all just kept getting worse, and then Gladio showed up and I'm just so tired, man." He stops for a second on the sidewalk and wipeshis eyes again, trying not to cry. He's better than this, better than crying in the street on the phone to a guy. "Sorry, just. I'm just not in a good space today." 

Ignis is quiet for a second before he speaks, voice soft. "Are you headed home now?" 

"Mhm." Prompto picks up his pace again. Just because it stopped raining doesn't mean it's done for the night and he'd rather get out of these clothes before they get soaked for the second time that day. 

"Good. When you get home, I want you to take a nice, warm shower and try to relax for a bit. Then I want you to go lay on the couch and put something on the television you enjoy. Just take it easy for the rest of the day, alright?" 

Prompto nods, then remembers Ignis can't see him. "Y-yeah... okay. That sounds good. I'm sorry for getting weird all of a sudden." 

"No need to apologize, Prompto. We agreed to be honest around one another, did we not? I'm glad you're talking to me about not feeling well, as I want to do what I can to help you feel better, even if it is just bossing you about." 

He laughs, despite himself, and wipes his eyes again. "Thanks, Iggy... What are you makin' for dinner tonight?" 

It's become a thing Prompto asks around meal times. Ignis always has something grand and fancy to make, usually with veggies hidden from Noct, though sometimes it's just 'diner food' with an aggravated emoji that always makes him smile. Ignis is actually pretty witty and funny, much to Prompto's absolute delight.

"I believe tonight I'm making a green curry soup. I was going to add potatoes to it in place of protein because I made steak for lunch and I don't believe they need any more protein for the day." 

Prompto coos softly, suddenly very aware of how hungry he is - like he does every day, forgetting to eat until the evening and then not knowing what to eat that won't make him feel sick. His stomach is normally in knots all day anyways, and eating sounds unappetizing at best. Today, though, the idea of one of his favorite dishes is making his mouth water. 

"Man, I can't remember the last time I had curry." It had to have been when his parents were still alive. His mom used to make it at least once a week for him, knowing it was his favorite. She always added lots of veggies he liked, if he remembered right, not that he'd be able to re-create it himself in any way and do his mom's cooking justice. "Especially green curry, it's like one of my favorite foods." He sighs wistfully. "You gotta let me know if Noct eats the potatoes, okay? I think if he eats as many fries as he does, he should be stoked for it." 

Ignis is already pulling out two small tupperware on the other end of the call and scribbling reheating instructions on them. "Indeed, I'll keep you updated. Are you almost home?" 

"Nah, not really, but I think it's about to start pouring again, so I'll shoot you a text when I get there, okay?" 

Ignis smiles. "That would be lovely, thank you Prompto." 

They hang up and Ignis hears the car pull up in front of the house, the familiar slam of his older friend closing the door too hard, and he thinks to ask Gladio why he went to see Prompto, and then thinks better of it, not wanting to deal with any fall out or arguments tonight. He just greets Gladio like he normally does, stirring his sauce and checking to make sure the rice is cooking all the way through. 

There will be time to talk to him, but not tonight. Tonight, Ignis is thinking about curry and the tired, upset, stressed man a few miles away who was probably running home as the skies opened up above him, swearing and sprinting and out of breath. He's thinking of surprising him with the extra curry and, maybe, his company. Not Gladio, not Noctis, not Iris, not his job, none of that. For once he's thinking of himself and what he wants to do. 

It's absolutely exhilarating.

* * *

Prompto passes out on the couch watching a trashy b-rated horror movie he used to watch in high school with his friends and laugh at. The familiar lines and scenes eventually lull his over-tired brain into a light sleep. Ignis had been right about a warm shower and a movie and his couch - he still feels beat to shit and a little under the weather, but still better than he had when he got home, flip flops in hand from running home barefoot in the rain, attempting to keep his phone and keys and wallet dry under his shirt. 

He's so tired, and he feels like he barely did anything today, but when he last checks his phone it's almost seven, and when he wakes up to someone knocking on his door, it's almost nine. 

"Who the fuck?" He grumbles, rolling to his feet and swaying for a moment, having stood up too quick, before shuffling over to the door. "Ignis?" He asks when he sees who's on the other side of the wooden door. "Why are you here?" 

Ignis clears his throat and holds out two containers to Prompto. "You, ah, mentioned it was your favorite. There was some left over, so I thought perhaps it might help to cheer you up after the absolutely rotten day you've had." 

Prompto could cry as he accepts them, glancing at the reheating instructions on top. "Dude... you didn't have to do that. Thank you." 

"Yes, well, I couldn't let you go hungry, now could I? What kind of man would that make me?" 

He weighs his options quickly. Accept the food and let Ignis be on his way, or...

"Do you wanna come in for a little? If you're not busy, I mean! I don't wanna, like, keep you from working or anything, just - I haven't seen you in a couple days, and I thought maybe it would be nice to catch up, but, y'know what? That was super dumb of me to ask, I'm sorry, man, I didn't mean to - " 

"Prompto." 

"Y-yeah?" 

Ignis smiles at him gently. "I wouldn't mind spending some time with you this evening, if that's what you'd like." 

He nods. "Yeah. Definitely. I mean, I definitely want you to spend some time with me. But only if you want to!" He steps aside to let Ignis in, watching the taller man enter and shrug off his coat, draping it on the coat rack, shoes coming off immediately as Prompto closes the door. "Sorry if it's a little messy." Ignis follows him to the kitchen where he takes over reheating for Prompto, since he knows what to do anyways. 

"You didn't seem to mind how your home looked the last time I was in here," Ignis reminds him. "I daresay it looks cleaner, but I am also not so callous as to judge someone's home that I've been invited into. Your home is lovely and welcoming and whether there's some sand by the door or some dust on your television is none of my concern. I am not here for anything but your company." 

Prompto leans against a counter, nodding. "R-right..." Is he always so well-spoken about literally everything? Prompto needs to buy a dictionary or something if he's gonna keep up with the guy.

"Also, I must remind you, no stressing about trivial things, remember? I'm here for _you_." 

"Right." Prompto smiles. "Thank you again for bringing me dinner, man. I like, super appreciate it." 

"Well, I thought it was the least I could do to make you feel better, though you're quite welcome. I must admit, I didn't take you for a fan of spicier foods." 

He laughs at that, earning a smile from Ignis. "You're full of jokes, huh, man?" 

The taller man huffs a laugh and retrives Prompto's food from the microwave, handing it over. "The glass is a bit warm, but I believe it should be a desirable temperature." 

Prompto accepts it gratefully, snagging a spoon out of one of the drawers and jerking his head back towards the living room. "You, uh, wanna stick around and watch a movie or somethin'? I know it's kinda late and you probably need to get back but... y'know. Offers on the table." 

Ignis pauses. 

"That sounds lovely." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say that I have SUPER bad anxiety and posting works stresses me out so I didn't read any comments until last night and I just wanna say THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! for all the kind words and comments :) it really really makes my day and I'm glad you guys like what I'm writing uwu


	5. Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio gives Ignis flowers.   
> The diner is closed for the day.   
> The town is a little quieter.  
> Prompto heals a little bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back to powering through these chapters let's GOOOOO

Prompto knows what day it is before he even full wakes up. He knows that things are going to be a little harder to do today, the air is going to feel heavier, his skin is going to feel suffocating, and the house is going to feel too big and too empty. 

It's been five years now since the fire, and he knows what that means. It means anyone he sees on the street - anyone from Angelgard - is going to look at him and _know_. It means Cindy is going to insist on inviting him over to her and Cid's house for dinner and he'll come up with some reason to say no. He'll find some mundane, time-consuming task to do all day and he'll lose himself in it. He'll power through the day and then, tomorrow, he'll act like nothing is different. 

But, as he rolls out of bed and onto his feet, hip and tail bone still aching from where he'd met the counter and floor of the store a couple days prior, he isn't sure that that's what he wants this year. 

He splashes cold water on his face in the bathroom, rubbing his eyes until he sees stars and then toweling his face dry, trying not to think too hard about any one single thing. It doesn't help, but then again, it never has. His hands shake and in the florescent of the lights above his mirror, he looks... bad. He looks tired and too-thin and even though he seems to spend all his time outside these days, he looks pale, freckles standing out in stark contrast to his ghostly complexion. His mom would drag him to the overlook for a picnic and easy conversation if she were here. 

But she isn't, he reminds himself. 

He's alone. 

Prompto bites his lip, hating how raw it feels where he worries it every day. It's a nervous habit and one he's never been able to kick and he thinks he maybe tastes a little blood, but he keeps staring at himself. 

He hates that he barely recognizes the face staring back. People used to talk about how pretty his eyes were, how soft his hair was, how cute his freckles were - now they just offer him pitying glances and sideways looks when they think he can't see. He hates it. 

He hates this version of himself, the one that came about when he was eighteen and learning to cope with solitude for the first time ever. 

If he wasn't gripping the edge of the sink so hard, he's sure his hands would be shaking. 

"It's just another day." He tells himself, taking a steadying breath. "I'm gonna go make coffee and go for a run, just like I always do." 

And he does, backup sneakers ready to go while he waits for his new ones to arrive in the mail - the shoelace may have broken, but he knows it's been time for a new pair for a while now, and he should stop putting it off. His knees and feet are going to thank him for it, for sure. 

As he runs by Crowe, she nods to him. Nyx and Libertus aren't their usual, cheerful selves when they wave. Except Pelna. Pelna never treated Prompto any different on the anniversary, but Prompto isn't sure if he's trying to act normal or if he's just that dense. Either way, Prompto waves and continues his route. 

The diner is dark. It's one of the few days a year - besides Carnival and for the solstices - that it's closed. Everyone knows why, of course, no one is gonna ask any questions, except maybe the tourists who want a quick bite after a day on the sand, frying their skin. But they don't matter to Prompto today. 

No, today is all about the people that aren't here. 

He stops by the shop briefly to wait for the flowers to arrive and signs for them. Gladio is going to be coming by to pick up his bouquet of apology flowers in the afternoon and Prompto needs to make sure they look as perfect as possible. He may be terrified of the guy, but he does take pride in his craft, and he knows he's a damn good florist and halfway decent at arrangements. Once upon a time he had a social media account where he would post all the arrangements his mom would let him make. He'd take the picture with his camera and upload it and feel proud of his work. 

He hasn't touched it in years, but the thought of it makes him that much more miserable. It's just another thing he gave up on when he stopped living his life. 

He feels... something in his gut. It's hot and tight and as he stares at the ribbon tied around the crystal vase, he finds himself getting... angry. 

Not at anyone or anything for himself. 

"This is bullshit." He hisses, putting the flowers in the back room to wait before he leaves, locking up and flipping the sign to 'closed'. He sprints home, faster than he normally runs. 

He finds the camera tucked in a storage bin under his bed, dusty and with no battery, but he can buy some at the store later. He's just glad he had the foresight in his youth to take the battery out so it wouldn't erode the inside of the device. Besides, it's the SIM card he really wants, popping it into his laptop quickly. 

The photos load slowly - he doesn't use most of his technology besides his TV and phone these days - but as they do, he feels that anger ebbing away from his bones, just a little bit. There's pictures of arrangements, of Crowe and Nyx and Libertus and Pelna, of the shop, the beach, sunrises and sunsets, the view of the town from the overlook, the old diner (which makes his stomach knot up, but seeing the Aurums and Prompto's dad laughing behind the counter relieves the tension some), there's pictures of a puppy he'd found that his mom wouldn't let him keep, the flower stand...

All of it. 

All of it was right there, laid out before him. 

His childhood and his youth. The photos were sloppy, he can admit that as an adult with some modicum of 'talent', if he could call it that, but they're... carefree. Spontaneous. Candid. 

He loves them. 

* * *

Ignis isn't sure what's going on, but everyone he passes on the street seems... off. They're not as cheerful and friendly as usual, keeping more to themselves than he's used to, and he feels as though his unchecked politeness isn't going to cut it today. The market is a ghost town when he drops by and, as he passes the beekeepers table, he caves. 

"Pardon, but I'm curious - is there something going on today that I don't know about?" 

The young girl manning the table with an elderly woman glances between her older counterparts before she answers, "It's the anniversary of the fire." 

"The fire... you mean the one at the old diner?" The little girl nods. "If I may... I understand that there were people in the building at the time - who were they?" 

The elderly woman looks anxious to answer his question, but the young girl continues on, "It was the parents of the girl at the diner and the boy that sells flowers! I don't know their names, I was pretty little when it happened so I don't really remember much." 

"It was the Aurums and the Argentums." The old woman adds. "There was a gas leak, nothin' nobody could do to stop it. Really shook up the whole town for a while after, they were good folks, always did right be everyone, 'n they were some of the kindest souls 'round these parts." She sighs. "Wish I could tell ya more, but I ain't a gossip, young man, 'n I ain't about to go spreadin' other folk's business, you hear me?" 

Ignis nods, suddenly numb. "Y-yes ma'am. I... thank you for your time." He excuses himself and walks as quickly as he deems socially acceptable back to the house, not reaching for his phone to call Prompto. He's not sure what he would say at any rate, and he's not even sure Prompto wants to talk to him today. 

It explains a lot about what Prompto had said about Cid, and how he grew up with Cindy. It explains why neither of them run a garage, like Prompto said they'd wanted to, and why they took over a diner instead. It explains why, both times Ignis was in Prompto's house, there weren't any pictures on the walls, or why he always seemed to space out when the past was brought up. 

He isn't even sure what he's making until he's preheating the oven, measuring ingredients, and setting up his stand mixer. 

"Iggy?" Iris pokes her head into the kitchen. "Watcha makin'?" 

"I... Cake?" It's a question, but as he looks at the ingredients laid out and mixing, the pan he's coated with butter and lined with parchment paper. "Coffee cake." 

Iris comes up beside him to inspect his work. "Sounds yummy. But doesn't Noct hate coffee cake?" 

"It, ah, it's for Prompto, actually." He scratches the back of his neck. "I'm not sure what came over me, I suppose I just got a bit overwhelmed for a moment and needed an outlet. He seems to enjoy coffee, though, so I assume he'll enjoy something to go with it." He's pulling an excuse out of his ass. The truth of the matter is that it's just one of his favorite things to make because it's so easy and so good. "What would you like for lunch today?" 

Iris either doesn't notice his subject change or knows better than to call him on it. "Hm... Noct seemed pretty into fish and chips? I know he caught fish yesterday, so maybe he wants to use that?" 

Fried food. Of course. He does his best to quell his mild annoyance and nods instead. "Of course, I assume it's in the freezer. Let him know that I'm only going to indulge this fried nonsense on occasion." Today is an exception because he doesn't have the heart to argue with his friend over diet and nutrition, if only because his mind is wandering to the blonde that's become such a presence in his life lately. "Iris, what's - no, never mind." He shakes his head, unsure where he was going with his thoughts anyways. 

"Hm? What's up, Iggy?" 

"I... What's a good way to cheer up someone when you know there's nothing you can actually do for them?" He doesn't know how to make Prompto feel better, or whether he should even try. This isn't a scraped knee or a bruised hip or a wobbly ladder. This is real, deep emotional scarring that he may never be able to fully understand. "I'm afraid I'm a bit out of my element at the moment." 

Iris looks surprised, but thinks about it for a second. "Is this about Prompto?" He nods. "I think... the coffee cake may be a nice excuse to go see him, for sure. If he's hurting as bad as you say, then I think just offering to be a shoulder to lean on and an ear to bend might be the best thing you can do. Feeling alone can make any bad situation harder for someone, and I know Prompto means something to you, so... Just go be with him, okay?" 

For such a young lady, she constantly amazes him with her wisdom. But Iris has gone through her share of troubles on her own, Ignis knows that.

He offers her a rare smile and settles a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. 

"Thank you." 

* * *

Prompto is settled in at the counter of the shop, waiting for Gladio to come pick up his flower order and scrolling through the images on his laptop, laughing quietly when he sees something that sparks a vivid memory. There's so many smiling faces on the screen and he isn't sure when he stopped appreciating happiness in its most raw, unfiltered form like this, but he's sorry for it. There's one especially that has him nearly doubled-over, a picture of Crowe on Libertus's shoulders, laughing and holding on tight to his hair, which clearly hurt if the look on his face was any indication. Nyx is in the background with Pelna who has a video camera in hand, catching all of it. He'll need to see if Pelna still has that footage or if it's been lost to time or taped over. He can just barely remember the conversation they'd been having, something about graduation or opening a skate park - something trivial and childish. 

The bell above the door tinkles as Gladio slides in. 

"Holy shit, is that mine?" He points to the vase sitting next to Prompto, who grins and nods. 

"Yeah! You like it?" 

Gladio looks shocked. "It's - I mean, it looks like somethin' outta a magazine, man, you really killed it." He shakes his head. "I can see why you do this for a livin', you got a real talent for it." 

Prompto feels his cheeks heat. "I mean, it's not _that_ nice..." 

"Bullshit." The older man huffs, slapping the gil down on the counter. Prompto can tell it's too much just by the amount of bills sitting there. "Don't even think about givin' me change, Prompto. I don't want it. You deserve more than you charged me, and you know it." Before he can even open his mouth, Gladio continues. "Iris told me 'bout how you give back all the time. Why not let someone give you somethin' for once?" 

Prompto ducks his head, knowing he's right. "Thank you." 

It comes out softer than he wants, but a hand settles on his shoulder. "Don't sell yourself short, man." There's a pause. "And this is sorta my job as his best friend, but don't hurt Ignis, or you're gonna answer to me." 

Prompto looks back up at him, shocked. "Is this - are you - Shovel talk? Really?" 

They share a laugh, but Gladio drops his hand and looks at him hard. "I mean it. He's my oldest friend, and despite what you may already think about me, I only want him to be happy. If you make him happy then... so be it. I hurt him, and I know that, and I don't want him to have to go through that again. So I'm warning you now - you treat him like the king he is, okay?" 

He can only manage a nod as Gladio picks up the vase of flowers gently. 

"I gotta get these back, but just remember that. I'm sure you're a good guy, and if he likes ya then you're doin' somethin' right. Just don't gimme a reason to hate you, okay?" 

"Y-yeah. Okay. You got it." 

Gladio leaves without another word and Prompto watches him load the bouquet into the passenger seat of the car, buckling it in before driving away carefully. 

He keeps having the weirdest days, but there's nothing he can do to change other people's behavior. It's like his mom used to tell him, 'you can't control what other people say or do, but you can control how you react to them'.

Almost like magic, his phone buzzes in his pocket and he answers it without checking. 

"A-Argentum Arrangements of Angelgard, this is Prompto." 

A laugh on the other end of the line answers. "My, my, ever the professional one, Prompto." 

"Ignis." He feels a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. This morning he'd thought that talking to Ignis - or anyone, really - would be impossible, but somehow it feels easier than ever before. Maybe it's the image still pulled up on his laptop screen, all smiles and happy thoughts, or maybe it's the fact that Ignis's ex actively doesn't want to beat the daylight out of Prompto, but whatever it is, Prompto is having a semi-decent afternoon. "And to what do I owe the pleasure?" He gently shuts the laptop and starts to pack up his stuff, not wanting to be in the store more than he actually has to today. 

"I may have a... a gift for you, actually. I was hoping I could catch you at a moment where you're not too busy." 

"Lucky for you, my only customer for the day just left. So, I'm all yours." The words feel heavy in his mouth, but he says them anyways. It may as well be true. "Are you busy today?" 

"Not until this evening, no, why?" 

"You wanna meet me at my place and maybe go up to the overlook with me? I can pack us some lunch if you haven't eaten yet today." 

He's doing the thing. The thing where he throws himself at anything but how he feels today, but not for the same reason he usually does. It's just that today he actually something - no, some _one_ worth thinking about and he just so happens to be saying, 

"I think that sounds lovely. When should I leave?" 

"I'm about to pack up here and head home. So... now-ish?" 

Prompto's heart just about stops when Ignis says, "It's a date, then. I shall see you soon."

"Y-yeah. See ya soon." 

They hang up and Prompto bites his lip, grinning down at his phone before throwing his things back in a bag and locking up the store, doing everything in his power to not speed down the roads to his house. Maybe, he thinks, today could actually be a good day. 

* * *

When Ignis shows up, Prompto is waiting on his porch steps, playing with something that the older man can't quite make out from the street, but as he approaches he sees that it's a camera - and a rather nice one at that. Prompto is playing with the settings and when he hears the soft rustle of sand under Ignis's shoes, he looks up quickly, offering the brightest grin Ignis has ever seen on the young man. 

"Iggy! What's up?" 

Ignis settles next to him on the top step easily, glancing over Prompto's shoulder to the camera. "I see you've gotten a new toy?" 

Prompto laughs and shakes his head. "This is my old camera from high school. I found it under my bed, got some new batteries and a SIM card today before I went to the shop. I haven't used it in so long, I'm just dyin' to get some good shots with this baby." 

His enthusiasm is infectious and Ignis finds himself smiling back at him. "Then I suppose I shouldn't keep you waiting. Are you ready to go?" 

Prompto nods and reaches behind him to grab a small cooler bag that Ignis hadn't noticed at first. "Yep! I didn't have much for sandwiches, so I hope you like peanut butter and jelly." Ignis couldn't care less. The fact that Prompto had asked him here in the first place was all that really mattered to him. "Also, I had some fruit and stuff that's probably ready to eat, so, like, it's not just my middle-school lunch all over again." 

Ignis shakes his head. "You're really quite adorable, you know that?" He has little to no composure or filter around Prompto, and he's starting to wonder why he even wants one. "It matters not to me what you make, simply that you enjoy seeing me." 

"Oh." Prompto's cheeks heat and Ignis loves the way it makes his freckles stand out. "Well. Thanks. I think?" 

Ignis stands and offers Prompto a hand. "Shall we?" 

Prompto hates how smooth the guy is. He always knows what to say and do to make Prompto completely forget all his problems and he isn't sure if that's a good thing or if Prompto's just that into him, but either way he's about to go on an actual date with Ignis and as Ignis takes the cooler bag and leads Prompto down to his car, he can't help but think about how unbelievably lucky he is to have someone like Ignis around today. 

"So, 'a date' huh?" Prompto ribs him as they drive. 

This time, it's Ignis who's blushing. "I suppose... If that's what you'd like." 

"Uh, dude, newsflash, but I'm not the only person in the car right now, so," He draws out the 'o' and stares intently at Ignis. "If I say I want it to be, will you agree with me?" 

"I will." 

"Then this is, like, a date." Prompto sits back in his seat and feels his heart in his throat, but not in a bad way. He's excited. "I gotta admit, a picnic is a pretty cliche date, don't you think?" 

"If I recall, it _was_ your idea." 

Prompto laughs and shakes his head. "You're right, but you also agreed that it sounded good. So, like, I think that makes both of us guilty." 

"Touche." 

They arrive in silence and Prompto gets a look at what Ignis is grabbing out of the back seat. 

"Coffee cake?" 

"I, ah, found myself making it, even though no one at the house likes it. So, I thought perhaps... but if you are not a fan, I can leave it?" 

He shakes his head quickly. "Dude, no, I fuckin' love that stuff! Cinnamon is like, a god tier flavor." 

"You never cease to amaze me, you know that?" 

"Yeah. It's cause I'm _awesome_." 

Prompto leads the way up to the overlook, cooler bag slung over his shoulder, camera in hand, shooting away and Ignis can't take his eyes off the blonde who looks more carefree and relaxed than he's ever seen him in the time he's known him. He does, halfway there, gently take the bag from Prompto with a smile. 

"I'd hate to see you drop your camera because of it." Prompto smiles in thanks and snaps a quick picture of Ignis, much to his own internal chagrin. He's never been much of a picture person, really, but he thinks he can make an exception to Prompto. "Are you enjoying yourself?" 

"Dude, hell yeah! I forgot how nice it is to just... see something I like and take a picture, you know?" He's grinning down at the display, flipping through what he's got so far. "This one of you is really nice, actually. Want me to send it to you later?" 

Ignis could die, really, and that would be better than seeing himself on camera. "Ah, I don't think that will be necessary. I don't know what I'd do with a photo of myself." 

Prompto pauses to think and holds it up. "What about a picture of you and me? Think you could find a use for that?" 

"I daresay I could." 

The selfie is sort of ugly, really, if Prompto were to admit it, but they're both grinning and the light is reflecting off of one of Ignis's glasses lens, and Prompto's face is only like, ninety-percent in the frame, but it's perfect in its own way. 

"I'll send it to you tonight, okay? Now c'mon, we're burnin' daylight!" 

And when he grabs Ignis's hand and tugs him along, neither one thinks about all their other problems. Ignis isn't thinking about dinner, or Noctis or Gladio, or anything or anyone else. Prompto, for his part, isn't thinking about what day it is. He's blissfully putting all of it aside to just enjoy the moment presented to him with this guy. 

They strike up idle conversation while they eat, sitting against the railing at the top of the overlook. 

"Do you like cats or dogs more?" Prompto asks. 

"Cats, definitely. They're much less work and self-sufficient. You don't have to check on them every other hour, and they don't need your assistance with mundane tasks. They also require much less exercise." 

Prompto nods. "I get that. 'Specially since you're such a busy guy, right? Do you have any pets?" 

Ignis shakes his head. "I haven't the time, I'm afraid. Iris got me a fish for my birthday one year but..." 

"Dude! Don't tell me you killed a _fish_!" 

"No, no, nothing of the sort. I gave it to Noctis. _He_ killed it by over-feeding." 

Prompto laughs. "Wow. Not even enough time for a fish, huh?" Prompto tries not to think about what that means for whatever they're doing once Ignis goes back home. If the guy can't make time for something that doesn't even need time, then talking to him is probably out of the question. But he's not worrying about that right now. "You ever think about doing something else with your life? I mean, I'm sure you love what you do, but... does it ever get old?" 

Ignis mulls over the thought for a moment. He can't imagine doing anything but what he does now, but that doesn't mean he hasn't considered it in the past. He used to want to be a chef, though his uncle had quickly extinguished that flame. He always thought that perhaps he could start up his own clothing line, but he didn't have the necessary inheritance of wealth that people like Noctis did, and besides, he's not sure he'd want to compete with people like the Caelums anyways. 

"I've thought about it, of course. Who doesn't ponder what could be? I simply... don't have a reason to do be doing anything else." 

"Do you need a reason?" 

"No," Ignis admints. "Not necessarily, but I am personally comfortable with my life as it is. I feel as though we've had this conversation before, have we not?" 

Prompto looks out over the water, smile playing on the corners of his lips. "Sorta. You asked me if I was okay with the way my life is here. I guess, like you said, I don't have any reason to not be okay with it. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just... boring. Honestly." He laughs and shakes his head. "I know I should be grateful that I don't have to worry about anything, and that I have a supportive community, but most of the past five years of my life has been literally the same every day." He sighs and sets down the apple he'd been working on. "I can't imagine being anywhere, else, though. Maybe that's the issue. I just need to get out into the world and see it and decide what I wanna do, you know? I doubt my parents would want me to waste away doing something I wasn't invested in, but I just... I can't bring myself to leave." 

A hand finds his own and Prompto squeezes it gently, grateful for the grounding contact. 

"I... If I understand correctly, it is the anniversary of the fire at the old diner, is it not?" Prompto nods. "I know that it may not mean much, but... I wanted to let you know that you can rely on me to be a shoulder to lean on, or someone who listens. We don't know each other well yet, but I... I just want to be here for you." 

"I think- I think this," He squeezes again, "is enough for now. But... thank you. Really. It means a lot." 

Ignis squeezes back and looks out over the water. "Angelgard is a beautiful place, but if you do ever find yourself needing to leave for any reason, you will always have a place in Insomnia." 

Prompto stares at him hard for a second. "Thanks. I'll remember that." 

And he will, even if he never takes Ignis up on the offer, even if he never leaves this town. But maybe... just maybe. 

"Now, as I said, we don't know each other very well still, and I'd like to change that." Ignis turns to him, smiling. "May I ask you personal questions?" 

Prompto laughs at the sudden change of subject, but nods anyways. "Yeah, man, go for it." 

"What's your favorite color?" 

"That's not really 'personal', y'know? Yellow, like a chocobo. What's yours?" 

"Purple. What's your favorite animal?" 

"Uh, duh, chocobos. You?" 

Ignis laughs, of course he would love the giant birds. "Coeurls. I find they're quite beautiful, if very deadly. You like curry, and coffee cake - what other foods do you enjoy?" 

"Hm... salad, as weird as that might sound. Also ribs? So good. Hm... soup? Soup is pretty sick. What about you, mister fancy chef? What's it take to impress a guy like you?" 

"I find seafood to be a preference if I'm able to attain it. If not, savory desserts, like a tomato cake, or a chiffon cake." 

Prompto grins. "Somebody's got a sweet tooth, huh?" 

"Well I am rather infatuated with you, so I must agree." It earns him a blush from the blonde. "You've mentioned that you have anxiety. What sort of impact does that have upon your day-to-day life?" 

Oh. Yeah, that's a personal question, Prompto thinks, blowing his bangs out of his face. 

"I'm... Well, a lot. For starters, it makes me just, like, hate the way I look. So I work out a lot, but it also makes me, like, physically sick a lot, and makes it hard to eat. That's sorta why I'm so... twiggy. I just... it messes with my body really bad, if I'm being honest. I'm always tired and tense and nauseous and stressed and... I dunno. I'm definitely not as happy-go-lucky as I always seem." 

"So you... put on an act around those you care about, like Cindy and Cid, in order to stave off their worries." It isn't a question, but Prompto nods. "I understand that, as I've said, we aren't close, and we aren't very well-acquainted, but I don't want you to feel like you have to be that way around me. I'm also sorry if I've over-stepped any boundaries with you thus far in our conversation, I just... well, I'd like to know how to navigate your mental illness in any way I can. Not for my sake, but for the sake of whatever relationship you and I may settle upon." 

Prompto likes the sound of that. 

"Nah, it's cool. Just... I dunno, I don't want you seeing what a mess I actually am and then you're not gonna want to be around me." His voice is soft, and Ignis almost misses it over the sound of the waves below them, the wind in the trees. 

"I understand your concerns, but I propose we cross those bridges when we get to them, no?" 

Prompto looks over at him again and smiles. "Yeah... that sounds good." He goes back to his apple. "Y'know, I've got those flowers you ordered that you never came to pick up." 

"I thought I said they were yours?" 

"Mm, yeah, but usually the guy gives the flowers instead of making me do all the work in giving them to myself." 

Ignis laughs. "You have a point. I could pick them up today, if you'd like. Perhaps... I could interest you in coming by for dinner again? Since I have a feeling Gladio should be on better behavior now." 

"Oh!" Prompto turns his body to Ignis quickly, still gripping his hand. "That reminds me! He totally gave me, like, shovel talk today!" 

"... He did what?" 

The blonde is laughing. "Dude! Yeah! He was all, like, 'don't hurt Iggy or I'll kick your ass' and all that! It was kinda scary, actually, but, like, also super funny coming from the big guy?" 

Ignis will have to have a stern talking to with his friend later, but for now he supposes there's no harm done, especially if Prompto is laughing this hard at the situation. "I see. I'm glad you're not too intimidated by him, he really isn't as violent as you may think. But... I am surprised by his behavior." 

Prompto shrugs. "Dunno much about him, but... He was really nice, honestly. Said he really liked the bouquet I set up for him, so I think maybe I'm growing on him?" 

"What exactly did he say the flowers were for, again?" 

"He said they were an apology, didn't say who to, though. I kinda assumed they were for Iris since she makes it seem like he's a dickhead most of the time. Uh, sorry for, um, swearing." It isn't lost on Prompto that Ignis doesn't swear, or at least doesn't do it around him. Or, maybe not swear, but he sure as hell isn't as crass as Prompto can be, which makes him a little self-conscious about his lax language. 

Ignis waves him off. "No need to apologize. I'm not certain who he could be gifting the flowers to, but I was not made aware of any quarrel he might be having with Iris or Noctis... Nonetheless, it's none of my business, so I wish to go back to my question - would you like to come by for dinner? And perhaps this time you could eat something if you're feeling up to it?" 

Now he knows why Prompto didn't eat the last time he came by - if his anxiety made him as ill as he said, it was no wonder why being in a house full of strangers made him uncomfortable, not to mention Gladio's unabashed contempt for the man. It was all starting to fall into place - why he never ate, why he acted differently around different people - and Ignis was starting to get a better idea of just who Prompto Argentum was, if not just a beautiful, wonderful man that Ignis rather enjoyed spending his time with. 

Between fixing up the shop and bumping into one another and getting lunch a few times, Ignis found himself wanting to spend more and more time with the blonde. He wanted to know what Prompto looked like in the morning, waking up with a cup of coffee, or how he looked when he was driving and humming along to music. He wanted to know everything he was allowed about him, and it scared him and thrilled him all the same. 

"Dinner sounds... good." Prompto nods. "I'm just... I'm gonna be honest, I might be like, pretty quiet. It's kinda a shit day, y'know? But... I'm tired of being miserable here. I'm tired of feeling like I'm not allowed to be happy because of everything that's happened to me, s-so I'm gonna. Because I want to, even if the idea makes me a little nervous." 

"I commend your bravery," Ignis says, "and please know that if you feel overwhelmed at any time, you need only excuse yourself or ask me for help and I will do whatever I can to help ease your burden." 

Prompto sighs. "Do you always make everything sound pretty? It's kinda annoying that literally every single thing you say sounds like poetry, dude, it's kinda unfair." 

He laughs at that, flattered by the honesty. "You do have your own charms, you know. I find it quite endearing the way you always call me 'dude' and 'man', or how you text me, or the way your whole body seems to light up when you get excited." He pulls his hand away from Prompto's finally to push a strand of hair out of his eyes. "The way your hair falls in your face and you never seem to mind. The way you bite your lip when you're thinking, or how you duck your head when you're embarrassed or flustered." He watches Prompto do both of those things and gently tilts his chin back up with his free hand. "You've nothing to hide from me, Prompto. I want you to know that." 

This time, Ignis doesn't lean in first, and Prompto doesn't hold his breath when their lips meet. Instead, Ignis moves his hand from Prompto's chin to his jaw, feather-light touches, and Prompto moves onto his knees to get better purchase and height. 

It's not perfect, not by any means, but it's so perfectly Prompto that Ignis has a hard time minding when long blonde locks tickle his nose, or when Prompto's hand comes up to rest on Ignis's, holding tight. 

When they pull away a few moments later, Prompto bites his lip once again, but he doesn't look away, looking, instead, at Ignis's face, flushed and warm. Their eyes meet and Ignis leans in to press a kiss to his cheek before sitting back and dropping their hands, lacing fingers once they're both seated side-by-side once again. 

"S-sorry," Prompto blurts, "I just - you kissed me a few days ago and I just - I just really wanted to do that." 

Ignis laughs, which he finds himself doing more and more around the blonde. "You needn't apologize, dear Prompto. I quite enjoy kissing you, as it were, but I don't believe that a public setting is necessarily the most appropriate setting for such things." 

"No PDA, got it." Prompto nods. 

"Now I didn't say all that." 

"Okay, so no kissing. But... I could do other stuff?" Ignis nods. "So, if I wanted to... I could hold your hand?" 

"If you'd like to, yes." 

"I could... give you a hug?" 

"I'm not sure I'm too good at it, but yes, if you wanted one I would be more than happy to oblige you. I can tell you're a physically affectionate person and I don't wish to deny you that." 

"Okay, so that's a fancy way of saying that I'm touchy-feely and you'll put up with it cause you like me." 

Ignis snorts a laugh, and it startles one out of Prompto. 

"Yes, I suppose that is what I said. But I also believe I said that I'd like to do certain things in a more private setting." Ignis shifts closer to Prompto and wraps an arm around the blonde's shoulders, pulling him into his side gently. Prompto goes easily, loving the proximity and also the physical contact all along the side of his body. He hadn't realized just how touch-starved he'd been until this moment. "Something like this is quite alright, though. If there are any boundaries you'd like to set, you need only tell me." 

Prompto shakes his head. "Nah, just... until we figure out what, exactly, this is, I don't wanna be all physical around your friends. I'm pretty self-conscious about stuff like that and I don't want them to, like, stare at me... or anything..." 

Ignis presses a kiss to the top of Prompto's head. "I'm in no rush to put a label on our relationship, unless you wish such, but I find that your company and, well, most things about you, make me happy to be around." 

"Shut up," Prompto mumbles, but lets himself enjoy this. Even if it doesn't last, even if Ignis leaves and they never speak again, he can at least enjoy this for right now. He can enjoy looking out at the ocean and listening to waves and sea birds and feeling Ignis's arm around his shoulder and the smell of his cologne and the steady rise and fall of his shoulder with his breathing.

Yeah, Prompto could get used to this, even if he shouldn't let himself get his hopes up. 


	6. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto has dinner.   
> Gladio apologizes.   
> Luna says hello.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally gonna lump this in with the last chapter, but I thought there was way too much dialogue and stuff to keep it all in one, so I'm letting it have its own mini-chapter sorta? Idk y'all, I'm just vibing at all times.

"What if they don't like me?" 

Ignis laughs and shakes his head. "They already know you, Prompto. How could they not like you?" He reaches across the console to grab the blonde's hand gently. "I can assure you, you have greater things to worry about." 

Prompto cocks his head to the side. "Like what?" 

"Watching me try to get Noctis to eat his vegetables." The pure acid in Ignis's tone shouldn't be funny, but it is, for one reason or another, and Prompto finds himself laughing as they pull up to the large house. Prompto's been here once before, and it just feels so unnecessarily large compared to his own, and his house is built for an entire family. Yet, somehow this house makes his look like a tool shed. He knows the inside is all modern styled furniture and light fixtures, despite the outside looking like any other house in the town. Prompto doesn't really like modern style, he decides quickly. It's too clean, too sterile. It looks like something out of a movie, not a real house that people live in. Then again, Ignis gave off a similar vibe when they met - all proper grammar and pressed clothes and styled hair, but he quickly swapped the high maintenance look when he started helping Prompto with store renovations, hair down and shorts and t-shirts. It's a decidedly more relaxed look for him and it makes him look his age instead of like a grown-ass man. 

Prompto leans over when Ignis parks the car and kisses him on the cheek in a rare moment of confidence. "I think you got this on lock, dude, I wouldn't sweat it too much. Besides, you can just load my plate up with veggies if he throws too much of a fit." It feels like he's talking about a child, but he knows that Noctis is just a person who hates vegetables. Which is weird, but Prompto hates shellfish, so he can't really leave much room. "What are you making, anyways?" 

"A lobster paella." 

Fucking shit. "Oh! That sounds fun, what are you gonna put in it?" Prompto unbuckles from his seat and gets out of the car with Ignis, heading towards the steps to the house. He hates lobster almost as much as he hates himself, and that's saying something. 

"Onion, garlic, fennel, saffron, parsley, piquillo peppers, bell peppers, tarragon, and Pernod." He lists the ingredients and Prompto listens, ready to corner Noctis and make a deal with him about discretely swapping lobster for peppers so that Prompto doesn't vomit and Noctis doesn't give Ignis any more grey hairs than he already probably has over the subject. 

"Mm, sounds good." He thanks Ignis for holding the door open for him. "Sorry if our little outing today wasn't very fun." He toes off his shoes by the door where there are a few others lined up neatly, no doubt due to Ignis's strict cleanliness and need for order. Prompto is realizing it reaches into most aspects of his life. "Also, how come you wear your hair up sometimes? It looks really good down." 

Maybe he imagines the blush on the older man's face as they wander into the kitchen. "I prefer to keep it out of my face when I'm working, though it doesn't hold well in the humidity here, so I gave up rather early on in this vacation. I'm glad you think it's becoming, though, and thank you." He begins pulling out a pot and a pan and a cutting board and spices. "Would you like to assist me?" 

"S-sure, yeah." He'd rather gouge his own eyes out than deal with the sight of a dead lobster or the smell of it. "Want me to cut the onions?"

"That would be delightful. The knives are in that drawer." Ignis points and Prompto gathers the things he needs while Ignis grabs the ingredients out of the fridge and lays them out on the counters. Prompto swallows down a bit of bile at the sight of the lobsters. He doesn't know why he hates the things so much, but he's sure it's got to do with some repressed childhood memory or maybe just growing up by the ocean has made him sick to think about any food from it. Either way, once Ignis sets to boiling the water for the nasty things, Prompto focuses on peeling the papery skin off the onions and dicing them with the fennel bulbs and the peppers. 

Ignis takes the onions and the garlic cloves he's minced and tosses them into a pan with hot oil and the smell, while nothing special, is mouth-watering. Prompto hates that it's going to be ruined with the lobster, but he holds his tongue. 

"Your knife cuts are rather impressive, if I must admit." Ignis comments. "They rival my own." 

Prompto grins. "Are you saying that me, a lowly pleb, has skill comparable to a professional chef?" He laughs when Ignis rolls his eyes. "Careful with the compliments, Iggy, you might just make me fall for you." 

"Ah, yes, we can't have that, now can we?" Ignis pauses what he's doing to brush Prompto's hair back behind his ear. "Why do you wear your hair long?" 

Prompto pauses pulling the seeds out of a bell pepper to think about it. 

"I dunno. I just... I kinda grew it out, just cause. I used to wear it short and, like, style it all the time and man, I wish people would have told me my hair looks like a chocobo butt in high school, but it is what it is." He laughs and shakes his head. "I have some pictures of it, if you wanna see em later. I backed up my SIM cards to my laptop, so if you give me your email I can send some your way." 

Ignis grins. "I used to wear my hair combed to one side, so you are not alone in that regard." Prompto imagines a young Ignis, hair all brushed to one side, and has to laugh again. "Perhaps, if I find any photographs, I can send them to you as well." 

Prompto likes this. This is easy, just talking and being around him. "I'm holding you to that, you know? I need awkward Iggy pictures in my life A-S-A-P, dude." The older man goes back to checking on the lobsters and adding more ingredients to the pan with the onions and Prompto steps back from the cutting board once he's done. "Do you need my help with anything else?" 

Ignis glances at him and shakes his head. "I'm afraid paella isn't a terribly complex dish, nor does it require much time to cook, so for now your services are no longer necessary. Thank you for offering, though, I'm very appreciative." He steps over to Prompto again and Prompto, for what it's worth, definitely doesn't step back from the intensity of the taller man's gaze. Definitely doesn't let himself get backed against a counter. "I had a lovely day today. Thank you for bearing with me and agreeing to be around my friends, though I'm sure you would rather be elsewhere." 

He shakes his head, vehemently and finds Ignis's hands on either side of him, braced on the counter. "Not at all, dude. This is... it's a nice distraction, honestly. I'm glad you had a good time today." His heart is hammering in his chest and he wishes it would stop because he's sure if Ignis wanted to he could hear the nervous thrum. "You, uh, you're a lot of fun to be around." He admits. "Even though you're all prim and proper and stuff, you kinda remind me what it's like to be a normal person." 

Ignis grins and leans down to kiss the top of Prompto's head. He's gonna have to get used to all this affeciton, for sure, but it's so nice to just melt into Ignis and lose himself in the proximity of another person. "You're quite precious, you know that? We can continue this conversation later, though, I'd hate to ruin dinner because I got... distracted." 

He pulls away then, with a wink, and goes back to the paella and then Prompto remembers - right, he's gotta find Noctis and get out of eating the lobster somehow. 

He sets off then, looking around the house for the dark-haired man in hopes of saving his stomach and his potential relationship with Ignis. He knew the guy said seafood was his favorite, but Prompto hadn't expected to have to eat it tonight, not without a chance to admit his absolute distaste for the stuff. 

He finds Noctis on the back porch on a bench swing, talking to his phone and laughing. He glances up at Prompto and waves. 

"Hey Prom, didn't know you were coming by." He glances back down at the phone for a second. "Babe, you wanna see Specs's boyfriend?" 

Prompto feels his face heat at the word, but he can't bring himself to deny it, mostly because he's not sure that it will do any good since he and Ignis haven't had a chance to discuss what they even are. 'Boyfriend' feels wrong, but 'friend' doesn't quite capture their relationship either. 

When Noctis turns the phone towards Prompto, he steps closer to see a very pretty woman on the other end. She has the softest looking blonde hair Prompto's ever seen pulled into a messy bun and she gives him a gentle smile. "You must be Prompto." She says, waving. "My name is Lunafreya, though Noctis's friends call me Luna. It's a pleasure to meet you finally, neither of the boys nor Iris stop talking about you." 

"O-oh? Hope it's all good, then!" He knows that Luna is Noctis's finacee, on vacation in Altissia for the summer, and she's much prettier than he ever would have expected. She might be just as pretty as Cindy in his eyes, but he'll never admit that to either party. 

Luna laughs and waves her hand. "Of course it's all good, Prompto. I don't believe there's a bad thing to say about you, from what I understand." She has the same accent as Ignis and Prompto is quickly finding out just how attractive that can make a person. "Oh, dear, Noctis darling?" She frowns.

Noctis turns the phone back around and looks at her. "Time for your meeting?" There's a pause, Prompto assumes she's nodding. "Alright, well, lemme know how it goes, okay? Love you." 

"I love you as well. It was very nice to meet you, Prompto! And please tell the others I said hello." 

"Will do, babe. Bye." Noctis sets the phone down and looks up at Prompto. "What brings you here?" 

"Oh, um, Ignis invited me over." He explains. "W-we sorta hung out earlier and he just... yeah." 

Noctis nods. "Do you play video games?" 

"Uh, yeah, sometimes. What system do you play on?" 

They end up in Noctis's room, which is just as messy as Prompto would have expected from the dark-haired man. He has more games than Prompto could ever imagine buying and he isn't sure just how all the games got to this house anyways. Whether he brought them with him or keeps them here, he has no idea and he's not sure he wants to find out. 

"Dude, this game cheats!" Prompto insists as he mashes buttons in an attempt to knock Noctis's character out on the screen. "You can't be serious!" 

Noctis ultimately wins the round and Prompto groans, flopping onto his back on the carpet. 

"Don't feel bad, I play a lot of video games." Noctis shrugs. 

Taking a good, hard look at the other man, Prompto sits up on his elbows. "No sweat, I don't really get a chance to anymore. This is kinda really fun, actually." 

Noctis grins at him. "Yeah? It's nice to have someone to play with, honestly. Gladio and Ignis don't really do this sort of stuff and Iris is... well, she's usually too busy when we're home, and it's not really fun playing with anyone else so... thanks for joining me." 

"Dude, any time." He grins back. "I know how annoying it is to have to work all the time and then you get home and you just wanna do shit that, y'know, twenty-three-year-olds do and it's just... awful. But this? This is sick." 

Noct nods. "Yeah, I mean... I'm sure you know, but my dad's like, famous or whatever, so I am, too. And it fucking blows, dude, I just wanna be a person. I don't wanna work in his company or do any of the boring stuff I'm supposed to, which is probably pretty bratty of me to say, but it just... it isn't what I want." 

Prompto nods. "I understand what you're saying. It's not fair to you to have to do what your parents do. You should do what makes you happy, you know?" 

And wow. Prompto should really learn to take his own advice. 

"Yeah... thanks, man." Noctis playfully nudges him. "C'mon, I wanna get another round in before Specs gets us to eat." 

Prompto sits up quickly, gasping. "That reminds me!" He gets may too close to Noctis for a second. "I have a proposition for you." 

"Uh - o-okay?" He looks nervous and a little startled, but nods all the same. "Lay it on me." 

"I... I kind of hate seafood." He admits. "And Ignis is making lobster. If we're discreet enough, do you think I can swap your veggies for my lobster?" 

Noctis stares for a second before he bursts out laughing, eyes crinkling up and he sets the controller down to wrap his arms around himself. 

"I'm serious!" Prompto begs. "Please, dude, I don't want him to think I'm being difficult or that I'm unappreciative or anything, I just - gods, growing up by the ocean has just made me hate seafood, especially lobster and crab and shit. Gods. Please?" 

Noctis wipes his eyes and nods. "Yeah, man. I got you. That's just way too funny." 

"Gods, you're telling me. The irony, right?" 

"Honestly!" Noctis stands and stretches his arms over his head. "Guess we better figure out how to skin this cat then, huh? C'mon, let's go see if Specs will let us serve ourselves - that will make it easier." A hand appears in front of Prompto's face and he takes it willingly, getting pulled to his feet. "By the way - you guys are, like, a thing, right?" 

Prompto feels his cheeks heat once again. "S-sort of... it's not really - we haven't really gotten to talk about what it is, exactly." 

The other man nods and starts to lead the way back downstairs towards the kitchen. "By the way, for what it's worth, you're like, the best guy he's brought around. Like, ever." 

He does his best to not let that go to his head too much. 

"Oh, th-thanks. I think? Um. Word." 

Noctis snorts a laugh. "You should come by more often and we can play more games. That was fun." 

He finds himself grinning like an idiot when they wander into the kitchen, but it slides off immediately once he sees the large figure looming in the corner. 

Gladio. 

"Sup Noct?" He nods towards the dark-haired man and then turns to Prompto. "Blondie. Heard you were joinin' us." 

"H-hey big guy!" 

Noctis saves him by cutting their conversation in the bud. "Where's Specs?" 

"Stepped out back once he was done, probably taking a break or somethin'." Gladio shrugs. 

Noctis leads Prompto to the back door and encourages him out it, closing the door behind him and there is Ignis, looking just as good as when Prompto saw him less than an hour ago, sitting on the top step of the porch and taking in the setting sun's rays. It's an amazing look on him and Prompto's fingers itch for his camera, hanging from his neck on a strap, he's been toting it around the house more or less, trying to get his lighting settings back on track. 

The snap of the shutter gets Ignis's attention, and he turns his gaze upon Prompto with a smile. 

"I hope you got my good side." 

Prompto sits down next to him, inspecting the photo and grinning. "I don't think you have a bad one. What's up?" 

"Just taking a moment to appreciate the view, is all. It's been quite a lovely day, I hate to waste the remainder of it inside. I may find sand to be rather annoying to clean, but it does feel wonderful underneath one's feet, does it not?" 

He laughs quietly, nodding. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Dinner ready?" 

Ignis nods. "Quite." He reaches over to gently pry one of Prompto's hands from his camera and bring it up to his lips, pressing a kiss against the blonde's pulse. "Your heart is beating rather fast, isn't it? Are you alright?" 

Prompto feels his cheeks heat. Ignis makes him way too flustered. "Yeah, I'm fine, just... you're..." He clears his throat. "You just look really nice right now. Like, with the lighting and the way you just - I dunno, it's hard to explain, but..." 

Ignis kisses his knuckles this time. "But?" The younger man is almost as red as the sky in its final stages of setting, and Ignis loves just how much of an affect he has on the man. 

"But you just l-look really _good_ , y'know?" He hopes he can shove the entire meaning of the word into that one emphasis. Ignis looks beautiful, ethereal, flawless - the fact that he has eyes only for Prompto makes his stomach knot up in the best way possible. 

But Ignis just grins wider and shakes his head. "I'm afraid you'll need to elaborate on that further, but I believe that might be a more... private conversation?" Prompto nods. "Because, if I'm not mistaken, we do have an audience." And when they turn around, Noctis and Iris are watching through the back door. Noctis looks smug, like he caught them red-handed, and Iris is grinning and clapping her hands. Prompto doesn't have to listen hard to hear her cooing 'cute!'. But when they're caught, both look surprised and Noctis acts quickly. 

"Hey, Specs," He pokes his head out the back door. "I'm starvin'. You mind if I go ahead and make a plate?" 

Ignis sighs. "I suppose that's quite alright, but presentation is just as important as-" 

"As preparation, I know, I know." Noctis waves him off. "Prom, I'll make yours." 

"Noctis," Ignis warns, "Don't even think about loading your vegetables onto Prompto." 

The dark-haired man waves him off. "Chill out, Iggy, I'm not gonna make your boyfriend eat all my veggies. Yet." 

And then he's disappearing with Iris, away from the door and Prompto has to commend him for his quick thinking on getting him out of his situation. But when Prompto looks back at Ignis, the older man is blushing furiously and looking away from him, back out to the sea. 

"You okay there, Iggy?" Prompto squeezes his hand gently. 

"Yes, just..." 

"Just?" 

Ignis glances over at him. "I'm afraid I got a bit... flustered. When Noctis called you my, ah, 'boyfriend'." 

Prompto laughs and shakes his head. "Dude, he did that to me earlier. Don't worry, he's just fuckin' with you." 

"Well... Perhaps... he may be on to something there." Ignis admits, looking away again. "We agreed to not put a label on this just yet, but... well, I find it rather nice to hear you referred to as my partner. I understand if you don't feel the same way, but-" 

"Whoa, whoa, hey there dude, slow down." Prompto laughs again, reaching over to use a finger on Ignis's chin to turn him back towards the smaller man. "I didn't say I didn't wanna be your boyfriend. I just wanna get to know you a little better and, like, talk about some things before jump into it, you know?" 

Ignis feels his chest lighten up a bit when Prompto admits to being open to the concept of an exclusive relationship, and he nods. "Of course."

"We can... talk after dinner?" He offers. "Here or at my place, wherever you prefer. But my place would probably be easier, huh? No snooping." 

Ignis offers him a gentle smile and nods. "Later, then." 

* * *

When they arrive back at Prompto's house a few hours later, Prompto is happy to know that he didn't have any lobster and Noctis is happy he got away with only eating a few pieces of pepper that escaped his fork during the plating process. They high five about it when the other leave the room and have a good laugh about it, too, much to their confusion. 

"Thank you for driving me around today, by the way." He says, climbing out. Ignis follows suit and grabs the leftover coffee cake out of the back of his car, carrying it up to Prompto's front door. "C'mon inside." 

"Thank you." Ignis nods and steps in, toeing off his shoes once again, because he's a gentleman and old habits die hard. He tries not to think about the fact that he and Prompto are about to have a rather important conversation. "Where should I put this?" 

Prompto glances at the dish and purses his lips. "Hm... on the counter should be fine! Unless it's supposed to be stored some other way, but I think just the counter will be okay." He nods and heads to the living room, yawning around his hand as he settles onto the couch. 

Ignis deposits the glassware on a counter and finds himself settling on the other side of the couch, pulling Prompto's feet into his lap like this is something they do all the time. He wishes it was. 

"So," He says, "I believe we have a rather important conversation to have, do we not?" This could be it. He could ask Prompto and they could continue the way they have been, but something about the way Prompto isn't look at him is making him nervous. "Don't be afraid to say whatever it is you feel the need to, Prompto." 

The blonde glances at him, worrying his lip, before he speaks. "You're gonna leave. And I don't mean, like, in an insecure, 'oh no you're too good for me' way, I mean... literally. You're going to leave Angelgard and I know how busy you are when you're home, you told me so, and I just... I don't wanna get my hopes up that this is something that will last, just to have you pull a fast one on me at the end of summer." He's talking fast and worrying the hem of his shirt and still not looking at Ignis as he speaks. "And I just... gods, I really like you. It's kinda sad how much I like you, really, but I do, and I just don't know if the heartbreak is gonna be worth it." 

Ignis wraps a hand around Prompto's ankle, mostly because it's the closest thing he can reach, and also because he wants Prompto to know he's still there. "I don't believe you understand the kind of intentions I have, Prompto. I don't pursue someone if I don't believe it will last, and I definitely do not put this much effort into a 'fling', if that's what you're worried about. If you agree to this, I implore you to understand that this is something I will make work. If that means I take time every single month to come see you, then so be it. If that means I pay your travel fares to have you come visit on holidays, so be it. I don't wish to do anything to hurt you, and I don't wish to make you believe that I will be anything but loyal and faithful to you in the time we may spend apart." 

Prompto looks at him hard when he finishes, still stressing, but looking decidedly more relaxed. 

"You mean that? You're not just gonna... use me and then leave?" 

"Heavens no, I can't imagine ever doing something like that to you. I mean this when I say that I'm rather infatuated with you. I find that the smallest things you do bring a smile to my face, and when you're around everything just feels a bit more complete." 

Prompto pulls his feet back so he can sit up and scoot closer to Ignis. 

"You promise?" He holds out a pinky. 

Ignis laughs and links his pinky with Prompto's. "You have my word. Cross my heart. I don't break promises, Prompto." 

When they pull their hands apart, Prompto is blushing again. "So... you want a relationship?" 

"If that is what you desire, then yes, I believe that an exclusive relationship is something I would very much enjoy with you." 

The blonde nods and a few strands of hair fall in his face. "Right. Okay. So... does that make us...?" 

Boyfriends sounds so juvenile to Ignis's ears. They're adults, not high schoolers. "I believe it makes you my... partner? Er, significant other? I'm afraid the term 'boyfriend' is rather high-school to my ears, so pardon my more vague labeling." 

But Prompto shakes his head, smiling. "No, no. I like that. Partner." And when Ignis reaches over to brush Prompto's hair out of his face, there's a shift in the atmosphere from anxious to... well, neither of them knows quite what yet, but Ignis is will to find out. "Is it... is it okay if I kiss you again?" 

And when Ignis laughs and turns towards him more, Prompto feels his body heat in a way it hasn't in a long time. "I think I'd quite enjoy that, dear." And it's the pet name that does it for Prompto, and it has him leaning in, settling a hand on Ignis's thigh for leverage and it's more charged than their kiss on the over look had been, more insistent than their kiss on the porch had been, and it's everything Prompto could have wanted from this. 

Ignis finds himself lost in freckles and soft lips and blonde hair, hands tangling and tugging gently, and when they pull apart, Prompto looks wrecked despite the fact that they haven't even done anything. It's intoxicating to see, to say the least, and Ignis can't help going back in to kiss him again, this time feeling tongue at his bottom lip and when Prompto deepens their kiss of his own volition, Ignis wonders just how much he's about to learn about the blonde. 

When he tugs again, a soft whine escapes the younger man and it goes straight to Ignis's gut like a sucker-punch, and he isn't sure whether they should take this much further than his hand in Prompto's hair, sliding up the back of his shirt, or Prompto's hands fisting into the front of his shirt, no doubt wrinkling the material. 

They break away for air and Ignis realizes he's pulled Prompto into his lap at some point or another, and he blinks up at the blonde slowly, grinning. 

"You're truly amazing, you know that?" 

"Shut up." Prompto mumbles, looking away shyly, all of his previous confidence in the situation gone and no, that won't do. Ignis rather enjoyed the charge his partner was taking. 

He leans in to press a kiss to Prompto's throat, a chaste thing, before sitting back again. "I don't wish to rush into anything with you, unless that's what you wish as well. I don't want you to feel forced into anything you're not comfortable with." 

And Prompto clears his throat, clearly thinking about the possibilities. "Yeah, I uh... I think just making out is good enough for now. I'll, um, let you know if I change my mind, okay?" 

Ignis nods and they meet again, this time less urgent, less insistent, and when Ignis's hands slide up the back of Prompto's shirt, it earns him a contented sigh. 

Ignis leaves far later than he would ever care to admit, multiple good-night kisses later, and when he gets home, he finds a bouquet of flowers waiting on the dining room table with a note. 

_Ignis,_

_Sorry. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy._

_I'm glad you have that now, you deserve it more_

_than anyone I know._

_-G.A._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank the Episode Ignis Theme for the vibes of this chapter like god wow that violin???????????? so good ugh.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm pretty sure this is gonna be a long-ish fic? Probably. Chapters will be a day at a time, unless I decide to just throw that out the window! I'm also completely re-writing my other Promnis fic atm, so please be aware that if it updates it's me changing the story and all that jazz! I just hate how it started to go, and I have better plans for that AND this fic! 
> 
> tl;dr - i'm trying LOL


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